Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson will be entering his third
professional season in 2018-19. He established himself as a top-four d-man with
 a career-high average of 21 minutes and 20 seconds of ice time last season but
 the Panthers need him to take the next step and prove he';s top-four on any
blue line, not just theirs. It is a lot to ask of a young player, but he looks
ready.A Great Start to a Career

Matheson had an interesting start to his NHL career. When multiple Panthers
went down with injuries right before the 2015-16 playoffs, their 2012 first
round pick joined the team from Boston College to play in three regular-season
 and five playoff games. He impressed in their first-round matchup against the
New York Islanders with an assist and a plus-1 rating while averaging nearly 22
 minutes per game.

Incredibly, Matheson';s short stint was so well received that he earned a spot
on Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship after Florida was eliminated from
 the playoffs. He helped Canada win gold and was named the top defenseman of
the tournament, beating out more experienced NHL defensemen in the
process.Coming out of Boston College, Mike Matheson immediately became an
impact player for the Florida Panthers. He earned top-four minutes in his
rookie season and his role has continued to expand. (Boston College)

In his first full season in 2016-17, Matheson averaged just over 21 minutes per
 game. He netted seven goals and added 10 assists along with a minus-5 rating.
He did not look comfortable and instantly showcased his skating and offensive
aptitude, making it look easy to skate the puck in and out of the neutral zone
and lead the rush.

Matheson was not perfect, however. He made his fair share of mistakes with bad
reads and poor judgment calls like any rookie. The speed and strength of the
NHL were, at times, too much for him but overall, it was a strong start for his
 career.

His role continued to expand last year in his second full season. He averaged
21 minutes and 20 seconds playing alongside Mark Pysyk and earned more minutes
on both special teams units, which led to 10 goals, 27 points and a minus-1
rating, all career-highs.

The mental lapses and bad judgment of his rookie season persisted early in his
 second campaign as he and Pysyk struggled. However, his strength, speed, and
decision making improved. By the end of the season, the pair were instrumental
in helping the Panthers claw their way back into playoff contention.

After two strong seasons, it is obvious that Matheson has not yet reached his
ceiling. Panthers management realized this and paid him accordingly.Skills of a
 Top-Four Defenseman

Matheson has all of the assets to be a successful offensive defenseman,
including speed, intelligence, and great vision. He is also an elite
skater and possesses great straight-line speed and lateral movement. His speed
 allows him to get involved in the rush, a dimension of a defenseman';s game
that has become more commonplace but is still not the norm. He is unafraid to
jump into the play and retreat back to position and has been rewarded for it
with goals and assists.Matheson is a skilled offensive defenseman, complete
with high intelligence and elite skating. He uses these skills to lead and join
 his teammates on the rush, resulting in quality scoring chances. (Bob
DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

In the offensive zone, Matheson shows the same aggressive nature. He often
skates below the faceoff circle to provide another option for his teammates.

He is not afraid to shoot, either. Though power is not one of his assets, he is
 equipped with a quick, hard shot that he uses to get the puck on net for tips,
 rebounds, or to beat a goaltender clean with above average accuracy. Already
with 10 goals as his personal best, reaching the 15-goal mark should be
achievable if his shot further develops.

His offensive ability is valuable to a power play that generally ranks near the
 bottom of the league. Matheson is able to quarterback a power play, which he
did on the second unit last year.

He is equipped with accurate passing and good vision, which enables him to
transition the puck out the defensive zone and start the rush. When he';s
unable to pass the puck, he can rely on his skating and puckhandling to move
the puck forward by himself. He is shifty and is able to beat attackers and
efficiently carry the puck through the neutral zone. For many defensemen, a
lack of high-end skating ability forces them to rely on passing to transition
effectively.Room for Improvement

Matheson turns the puck over in his own end too often. It is a mistake that
nearly every player makes and one that is difficult to remedy. But in his case,
 it is the location of these turnovers that is the issue. Far too often
Matheson loses the puck in high-quality scoring areas for his opponents.
Careless passes and overconfidence in his skating have led to costly lapses
where he tries to beat multiple players.



Strength is another weakness. He has the size but still gets out-muscled.
One-on-one, he is prone to allowing players to force their way through or
around him, leading to quality scoring chances against. Along the boards and in
 front of the net, his strength is also an issue. Matheson loses the puck
battle behind the net far too often. He struggles to clear his crease which
has also resulted in scoring chances and goals against.

Jumping into the play or rush is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides
 the team with additional scoring options and enhances the quality of them. On
the other hand, the player is often out of position. Last season, Matheson was
often caught too deep in the offensive zone after stepping up in the play. When
 the play broke down, he was too far out to help his defense partner.Why His
Weaknesses Can Become Strengths

Fortunately for the Panthers, he makes the same mistakes as any young player,
it';s part of the learning process. At 24-years-old, Matheson has time to grow
out of bad habits. Experience and maturity will make his mistakes less frequent
 and easier to recover from and they should be ironed out in upcoming
seasons.As skilled as Matheson is, he is still a young player. He is not immune
 to making errors. As he matures and gains experience, you can expect these
lapses to become less frequent. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

There is a reason why players hit their peaks in their mid-to-late 20s. That is
 when they reach their mental and physical primes. They have years of
experience and also NHL-caliber training and conditioning. Going forward,
Matheson has work to do to clean up his defensive game and to be more patient
on the attack.What to Expect in Year Three

The 2018-19 season could be Matheson';s breakout year. He will be another year
smarter, stronger, and more experienced. He will earn more playing time,
including special teams minutes, and continue to improve his offensive skills.
He is already playing a top-four role and has performed admirably in it. He has
 a strong foundation on which to grow.

Worst case scenario, excluding the possibility of an injury-riddled season,
Matheson will have a season similar to last year. But that is expecting too
little. If he continues to clean up his game, make smarter reads, and be more
cognizant of picking and choosing when to jump into the play, he will have a
successful season.

Throw in some new offensive pieces and a more experienced cast than last
season and Matheson could set new career highs offensively, especially on the
man advantage. It';s not implausible that he will lead the Panthers'; defense
in points, even with Keith Yandle on the roster, and provide some depth scoring
 that has been missing in the last couple of seasons.

All told, year three should be exciting for Matheson and we could be looking at
 the emergence of a true top-four defenseman.

The post Panthers'; Matheson Poised for Breakout Year appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.

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