Brock
Registered User
Yesterday, the 2006 HFNHL Entry Draft was completed, where the Florida Panthers held 11 selections in total. The following is the breakdown...
1/12 - Bryan Little
With their first round pick, the Panthers snagged smaller but talented centerman Bryan Little of the OHL's Barrie Colts. A very well rounded player, Little gives the Panthers a new bluechip prospect after Rob Schremp and Tuuka Rask were traded to Long Island for Shane Doan, and with the graduation of Svatos and Richards next season.
Otten's take - "We were surprised to see Little still availble at the 12 position. We had him rated as our number 7 prospect available, so needless to say we got a man we really wanted. We feel that he could turn into our first line center of the future, perhaps creating a very solid 1-2 punch with Mike Richards."
NHL Draft Spot - 12 (ATL) +/- O
1/27 - Cal Clutterbuck
The Panthers second selection of the first round, obtained in a deal for Mike Ribeiro with San Jose, was another OHL player in physical winger Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is a future pest who buzzes around the ice and has drawn comparisons to current Panther Raffi Torres.
Otten take - "Clutterbuck was the guy we wanted at that spot, the reason why we traded Ribeiro was strictly to have a chance at selecting him. We feel that he adds to our depth on the wing, which isn't that great at the moment. We see him as a potential elite third line winger who chips in 20-20 while creating havoc on the other team."
NHL Draft Spot - 72 (MIN) - 45
3/82 - Felix Schutz
In the third round, Florida selected german born, QMJHL forward Felix Schutz. Schutz, while not ranked by CSB, was listed as a sleeper by nearly every other scouting agency from Redline to Mckeens. He is considered to be a slick skating, agitating winger with a lot of offensive potential.
Otten's take - "This is the guy we had targeted with this pick. He played for such a crappy team this year, he really didn't have any help. Because of this, not a lot of people got a good look at him. He's immensely talented and we think that he's going to prove to be one hell of an NHL player, with a lot of boom potential but not much bust, as he still works hard at both ends of the ice."
NHL Draft Spot - 117 (BUF) - 35
4/102 - Kirill Tulupov
Another sleeper selection from the Panthers, Tulupov is a tough Russian defenseman who played for an independent team in Toronto this year and didn't get any exposure till a strong performance for Russia at the Under 18's. He was recently selected by Chicoutimi in the CHL Import Draft and is likely to report.
Otten's take - "With the loss of Exelby and Borer this offseason, we really needed to add a physically imposing defenseman to our stable of prospects and Tulupov is that guy. He's a bit of an unknown, and in the CHL this year we should get a much better idea of the type of potential he's got.
NHL Draft Spot - 67 (NJ) + 35
5/128 - Michael Neuvirth
A goalie from the Czech Republic, Neuvirth was the Panthers first selection of the 5th round. He's considered to be raw but with a lot of potential. He was also recently selected in the CHL Import draft by the Plymouth Whalers and should report.
Otten's take - "Another one of our goals this draft was to add another goaltender to our stable of prospects with the trade of some guys and the lack of development of others. Neuvirth has just as much potential as any goalie of this draft."
NHL Draft Spot - 34 (Wash) + 94
5/129 - Kaspars Daugavins
In the second of back to back picks in the 5th, the Panthers went to Latvia for talented winger Daugavins. He is considered to be both a safe and potential boom pick, as while he's got a lot of potential offensively, he's also a pesky agitator. He was also selected in the CHL Import draft, 3rd overall by the St. Michael's Majors.
Otten's take - "This was a pick similar to Schutz, as we feel that he's a safe bet to at least be an NHL'er with his energy. By playing in the CHL this year, he should give us a better idea of just how much offensive potential he has."
NHL Draft Spot - 91 (OTT) + 38
5/132 - Nick Dodge
With their last selection in the 5th round, Florida went to College for forward Nick Dodge. Dodge exploded offensively this year, leading Clarkson in scoring and developing into a solid all around player. He's recently been named captain of Clarkson for next season and reports say he could be a darkhorse candidate to win a Hobey Baker by the time his college playing is finished.
Otten's take - "As a college overager, Dodge didn't draw a lot of attention for this draft, but he took him early because we really wanted him. We feel that he could develop into a very nice player for us down the road. His development should be really interesting to watch."
NHL Draft Spot - 183 (CAR) - 51
6/159 - Tysen Dowzak
Dowzak came into this year as a potential first round selection but with a poor year that exploited some of his flaws, he saw his stock plummet in the eyes of scouts. He's a mammoth defenseman at 6'5 and 220 who plays a stay at home game.
Otten's take - "Dowzak is an interesting prospect who we felt we could take a chance on. He's got some issues with his skating and we'd like him to be more aggresive physically for such a big guy, but he's still got the potential that scouts saw him him before this season began."
NHL Draft Spot - Not Drafted + Infinity
6/162 - Bjorn Melin
An overage Euro selection, Melin is a character forward from Sweden who is going to try his hand at North American hockey this year. The 25 year old provides a solid two way game with a breakthrough offensive season in Sweden. He adds depth to the organization immediately.
Otten's take - "With a lot of teams taking chances on overage european players, we figured we'd jump in and grab a guy our scouts liked as an NHL player. He had a breakthrough offensive season in Sweden recently and wants to carry that confidence over to North America. We feel that he should be able to provide depth to our 3rd and 4th lines."
NHL Draft Spot - Overage Euro +/- NA
6/165 - Cody Wild
The Panthers final selection in the 6th round was Providence offensive defenseman Cody Wild. He projects as a similar player to current Panther prospect Tom Gilbert.
Otten's take - "Our scouts really liked him as a solid two way defenseman who rarely made mistakes and has a bit of an offensive side to his game. If he can add strength and become a little more physical, he could turn into a real solid NHL defenseman. We were very pleased to see him still available in the mid 6th."
NHL Draft Spot - 140 (EDM) + 25
7/193 - Stefan Chaput
With their final selection in the draft, the Panthers went back to the QMJHL to select another character forward in Stefan Chaput from Lewiston. Chaput is a former Under 17 star, but put up a disappointing offensive season where concerns over his skating were drawn.
Otten's take - "In the 7th round, it's hard to go wrong. Chaput is a very solid all around player who we felt has more offensive potential then he showed this year. We'll know a lot more about this pick after next season."
NHL Draft Spot - 153 (CAR) + 40
Overall the Florida Panthers managed to turn 2 1st's, 1 3rd, 1 4th, 3 5ths, 3 6ths and 1 7th in the HFNHL Draft into 1 1st, 1 2nd, 3 3rd's, 1 4th, 2 5ths, 1 6th, one undrafted and one overage Euro at the NHL Draft. This has to be considered a success.
"We were very pleased with our final draft results. We got a lot of guys we really targeted, addressed some organizational holes while still taking BPA's and really added to the overall depth of our farm system," GM Brock Otten said.
Next up in the offseason comes the free agent period where its expected that the Panthers will be active to fill immediate holes to bring the team to the playoffs next year.
Esteban Santour,
Florida Post
1/12 - Bryan Little
With their first round pick, the Panthers snagged smaller but talented centerman Bryan Little of the OHL's Barrie Colts. A very well rounded player, Little gives the Panthers a new bluechip prospect after Rob Schremp and Tuuka Rask were traded to Long Island for Shane Doan, and with the graduation of Svatos and Richards next season.
Otten's take - "We were surprised to see Little still availble at the 12 position. We had him rated as our number 7 prospect available, so needless to say we got a man we really wanted. We feel that he could turn into our first line center of the future, perhaps creating a very solid 1-2 punch with Mike Richards."
NHL Draft Spot - 12 (ATL) +/- O
1/27 - Cal Clutterbuck
The Panthers second selection of the first round, obtained in a deal for Mike Ribeiro with San Jose, was another OHL player in physical winger Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is a future pest who buzzes around the ice and has drawn comparisons to current Panther Raffi Torres.
Otten take - "Clutterbuck was the guy we wanted at that spot, the reason why we traded Ribeiro was strictly to have a chance at selecting him. We feel that he adds to our depth on the wing, which isn't that great at the moment. We see him as a potential elite third line winger who chips in 20-20 while creating havoc on the other team."
NHL Draft Spot - 72 (MIN) - 45
3/82 - Felix Schutz
In the third round, Florida selected german born, QMJHL forward Felix Schutz. Schutz, while not ranked by CSB, was listed as a sleeper by nearly every other scouting agency from Redline to Mckeens. He is considered to be a slick skating, agitating winger with a lot of offensive potential.
Otten's take - "This is the guy we had targeted with this pick. He played for such a crappy team this year, he really didn't have any help. Because of this, not a lot of people got a good look at him. He's immensely talented and we think that he's going to prove to be one hell of an NHL player, with a lot of boom potential but not much bust, as he still works hard at both ends of the ice."
NHL Draft Spot - 117 (BUF) - 35
4/102 - Kirill Tulupov
Another sleeper selection from the Panthers, Tulupov is a tough Russian defenseman who played for an independent team in Toronto this year and didn't get any exposure till a strong performance for Russia at the Under 18's. He was recently selected by Chicoutimi in the CHL Import Draft and is likely to report.
Otten's take - "With the loss of Exelby and Borer this offseason, we really needed to add a physically imposing defenseman to our stable of prospects and Tulupov is that guy. He's a bit of an unknown, and in the CHL this year we should get a much better idea of the type of potential he's got.
NHL Draft Spot - 67 (NJ) + 35
5/128 - Michael Neuvirth
A goalie from the Czech Republic, Neuvirth was the Panthers first selection of the 5th round. He's considered to be raw but with a lot of potential. He was also recently selected in the CHL Import draft by the Plymouth Whalers and should report.
Otten's take - "Another one of our goals this draft was to add another goaltender to our stable of prospects with the trade of some guys and the lack of development of others. Neuvirth has just as much potential as any goalie of this draft."
NHL Draft Spot - 34 (Wash) + 94
5/129 - Kaspars Daugavins
In the second of back to back picks in the 5th, the Panthers went to Latvia for talented winger Daugavins. He is considered to be both a safe and potential boom pick, as while he's got a lot of potential offensively, he's also a pesky agitator. He was also selected in the CHL Import draft, 3rd overall by the St. Michael's Majors.
Otten's take - "This was a pick similar to Schutz, as we feel that he's a safe bet to at least be an NHL'er with his energy. By playing in the CHL this year, he should give us a better idea of just how much offensive potential he has."
NHL Draft Spot - 91 (OTT) + 38
5/132 - Nick Dodge
With their last selection in the 5th round, Florida went to College for forward Nick Dodge. Dodge exploded offensively this year, leading Clarkson in scoring and developing into a solid all around player. He's recently been named captain of Clarkson for next season and reports say he could be a darkhorse candidate to win a Hobey Baker by the time his college playing is finished.
Otten's take - "As a college overager, Dodge didn't draw a lot of attention for this draft, but he took him early because we really wanted him. We feel that he could develop into a very nice player for us down the road. His development should be really interesting to watch."
NHL Draft Spot - 183 (CAR) - 51
6/159 - Tysen Dowzak
Dowzak came into this year as a potential first round selection but with a poor year that exploited some of his flaws, he saw his stock plummet in the eyes of scouts. He's a mammoth defenseman at 6'5 and 220 who plays a stay at home game.
Otten's take - "Dowzak is an interesting prospect who we felt we could take a chance on. He's got some issues with his skating and we'd like him to be more aggresive physically for such a big guy, but he's still got the potential that scouts saw him him before this season began."
NHL Draft Spot - Not Drafted + Infinity
6/162 - Bjorn Melin
An overage Euro selection, Melin is a character forward from Sweden who is going to try his hand at North American hockey this year. The 25 year old provides a solid two way game with a breakthrough offensive season in Sweden. He adds depth to the organization immediately.
Otten's take - "With a lot of teams taking chances on overage european players, we figured we'd jump in and grab a guy our scouts liked as an NHL player. He had a breakthrough offensive season in Sweden recently and wants to carry that confidence over to North America. We feel that he should be able to provide depth to our 3rd and 4th lines."
NHL Draft Spot - Overage Euro +/- NA
6/165 - Cody Wild
The Panthers final selection in the 6th round was Providence offensive defenseman Cody Wild. He projects as a similar player to current Panther prospect Tom Gilbert.
Otten's take - "Our scouts really liked him as a solid two way defenseman who rarely made mistakes and has a bit of an offensive side to his game. If he can add strength and become a little more physical, he could turn into a real solid NHL defenseman. We were very pleased to see him still available in the mid 6th."
NHL Draft Spot - 140 (EDM) + 25
7/193 - Stefan Chaput
With their final selection in the draft, the Panthers went back to the QMJHL to select another character forward in Stefan Chaput from Lewiston. Chaput is a former Under 17 star, but put up a disappointing offensive season where concerns over his skating were drawn.
Otten's take - "In the 7th round, it's hard to go wrong. Chaput is a very solid all around player who we felt has more offensive potential then he showed this year. We'll know a lot more about this pick after next season."
NHL Draft Spot - 153 (CAR) + 40
Overall the Florida Panthers managed to turn 2 1st's, 1 3rd, 1 4th, 3 5ths, 3 6ths and 1 7th in the HFNHL Draft into 1 1st, 1 2nd, 3 3rd's, 1 4th, 2 5ths, 1 6th, one undrafted and one overage Euro at the NHL Draft. This has to be considered a success.
"We were very pleased with our final draft results. We got a lot of guys we really targeted, addressed some organizational holes while still taking BPA's and really added to the overall depth of our farm system," GM Brock Otten said.
Next up in the offseason comes the free agent period where its expected that the Panthers will be active to fill immediate holes to bring the team to the playoffs next year.
Esteban Santour,
Florida Post
