Draft Summary
Heading into the offseason, a large goal for the Florida Panthers was to add size and toughness to the team. We in Florida believe we have put together a team that will no longer be afraid to bite back! Defensive depth was another concern that we attempted to address.
Adding the likes of Andrew Shaw, Roman Polak, Viktor Loov, and Ryan Collins both size and defensive depth were addressed. Adding a great veteran like Jack Johnson, at a reasonable price was icing on the cake.
Garrett Sparks will hopefully push our several goaltending prospects at the minor league level and can step in an emergency backup role if needed.
Many thanks to the players we parted ways with. Reto Berra, Graham Black, Patrick Shea, and Mackenzie Weegar. Shea and Weegar especially are two young players that we feel can one day contribute to their new teams. We wish them all the best.
Special wishes go to Alex Petrovic, who was ripped too soon from our hands by Vegas. Best of luck Alex!
Our draft went well. Unfortunately we were looking to add more picks, to help fill our quickly emptying cupboards, but were not able to. That said our focus was on defense, again, and forwards that could potentially play multiple positions down the road. While we were looking for players that would be ready to play sooner than later, we are comfortable with the mix we got.
Second round, 43rd overall: Pierre-Olivier Joseph - D - Charlottetown Islanders - 6'0", 161lb
Joseph is a prospect who has really improved his value in this his draft season. Joseph's confidence and poise is hard to ignore on the ice. He has good movement and vision, and projects to be a solid PP contributor in the NHL.
Third round, 64th overall: Jake Leschyshyn - C - Regina Pats - 5'11", 181lb
Son of former NHLer Curtis Leschyshyn, Jake chose to go the direction of forward instead of defense, a decision that seems to be working out for him. Jake plays a solid two-way game, and inherited a strong drive and understanding of the game from his father. While he may be a "safer" pick, if Jake can demonstrate the same dedication, consistency, and commitment his father did, he may be in for a long NHL career as well.
Fifth round, 136th overall: Kasper Kotkansalo - D - Sioux Falls Stampede - 6'2", 190lb
The Florida Panthers are comfortable in saying we had no intention of taking Kotkansalo with this pick... because we did not believe for a second he would still be around! A defender with good size, Kotkansalo is a shutdown defender, who can still contribute offensively to your team and generate chances. Kasper makes good passes and is not afraid to throw his body around if need be. While Kasper will need some time adjusting to the North American ice, he will have plenty of time to adjust as he has committed to Boston University next year to play with impressive bloodlines like Ty Amonte and 2018 top prospect Brady Tkachuk as well as potentially partnering up with BU linchpins Charlie McAvoy and Dante Fabbro.
Sixth round, 171st overall: Daniil Skorikov - C/W - Tolpar Ufa - 6'3", 174lb
With a slender frame, Skorikov will likely need to fill out a little more (and he has already since the beginning of the season) over the next couple seasons. The versatile forward has demonstrated skill and goal scoring prowess at both the U16 and U17 level and now needs to take that step forward at the next level. Expect Skorikov to spend the next year or two in Russia developing, but he may make a North American appearance before you know it.
Seventh round, 200th overall: Tobias Geisser - D - EV Zug - 6'4", 201lb
At 6'4" Geisser has amazing reach, but needs to work on his upper body strength. While his development has been slow, it has been steady, becoming a reliable defender that can play in most situations. While he will likely be a longer term project for Florida, with all of his international experience the Panthers will be watching very carefully at the 2018 World Juniors to see if he can step up and be an important piece for Team Switzerland.
Updated Roster
Great thanks to Risto for hosting such an amazing draft!