The Florida Panthers have re-upped with forward Shawn Matthias on a two-year, $3.5 million deal, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
Matthias, 25, was one of the key pieces that came to Florida in the 2007 Todd Bertuzzi trade with Detroit.
The former 47th overall pick had a breakthrough season with the Panthers in 2013, scoring a career-high 14 goals despite only playing 48 games.
Matthias also averaged a career-high 15:11 TOI per game and tied Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau for the team lead in goals.
A pending RFA, Matthias will now be with the Panthers through the 2014-15 season, at which time he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.
Overall, a good value signing for the Panthers, who locked up a big-bodied (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) forward that has dramatically improved his finish around the net. Matthias has 24 goals over the last two seasons, up from just 15 through the first 126 games of his career.