Florida Panthers Draft... To Date

It’s been another first great night at the draft for the Florida Panthers. They’ve been known for trading up their way to the player they really wanted like they previously did for Cole Caufield and Caleb Desnoyers, among others. But it’s been a bit more quiet on that front on Wednesday as they didn’t move at all.

They had picks #12 and #26 for that night and then, picks #72, #154 and #218.

When I asked PKayne if they did try to move up in the 1st round as usual, here’s what he had to say: “You know, we’re always working the phones. We’re always active, speaking with other GMs to see what’s out there, to possibly move up, or even move down. Always calling and listening to see if anything could improve our organization on the short, mid or long term. We came close to some deals but ultimately, felt like we were already in a great position so not looking to overpay at all. The pick #12 was in a good spot with the list our scouts built. We did try to move up to pick Wyatt Cullen but we felt like prices were steep. We end up getting him anyway at #12 so our scouts were really pumped about it!”

They already have a stacked offensive squad with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Tim Stützle, Cole Caufield, Artemi Panarin, Mathew Barzal, Beckett Sennecke and other great players. But the Panthers are known for swinging for the fences. They go for the upside, they target talent. And they felt like Matt Cullen’s son was fitting that description.

“Wyatt’s a really talented young man with some impressive offensive skills. He’s still raw of course but he’s 17 years old and we feel like the tools will translate well to the next level. He also has the bloodlines and I’m not gonna lie, it’s something we consider. He’s grown in a hockey environment and his dad had an incredible work ethic. You can’t play in the NHL until 42 years old if you aren’t 100% focused on it. Really pumped to have Wyatt in the organization.”

As for Mathis Preston, picked at #26, it was another swing for the fences. Preston is also one of the youngest prospect in the class, being still 17 years old just like Cullen. He has some incredible offensive skills, a hard shot and he’s one of the best skater in his class. He’s been injured for a part of the season so it was a bit harder for him to have a strong offensive production but he finished really well once he got traded to the Vancouver Giants. He’s also been one of the best Canada’s player at the U18 tournament. A potential homerun!

And in the past couple of minutes, the Panthers made their 3rd selection of this years draft, trading up to secure C Ryder Cali. Cali was a man among boys in the OHL last season, thanks to his hard style of play and his already NHL frame at 6’2 and 220lbs. He could very well become a steal at #69. Time will tell.

The Panthers still have 2 picks in the draft and will also focus on the free agency starting soon.

Stay tuned!

Mark Kandy
Miami Herald