Panthers Draft (2014 Edition) Part 1 of 2

 It didn’t take long for the Bure influence to take effect. Just mere hours after being named as key members of the teams scouting staff, the Panthers would go on to make a huge move sending out Jonathan Toews for Evgeni Malkin. They didn’t stop there, picking quite the mix of internationals with their 9 picks – the most they ever have; with 3 Russians, 3 Canadians, a Swede, an American and a Latvian. Another telling stat was the Panthers did not pick a defenseman until their last pick in the draft, a year after picking almost solely defenders.

“The Toews trade was tough, but when you step back you realize that we got the more talented player in the deal. That doesn’t mean Toews isn’t talented, he is and he excels in other areas but there’s no denying that Malkin has probably some of the best skill in the entire world.  In the draft itself, we opened up our borders and got a very nice mix of players that I believe will be a big part of this franchise. We took a few more risks at the bottom of the draft then we normally do, but we feel we can afford those risks with the depth we have.”

33^rd Overall Pick

Vladislav Kamenev

Centre, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)

August 12^th, 1996 Orsk, Russia

HT: 6’2 WT: 203lbs

GM’s Take:

“I still can’t believe we were able to grab this kid in the 2^nd round. The KHL is scary, but it’s not the imposing threat that it once was thought to be. We fully believe Kamenev will be in North America in a year or two, in the meantime he can continue to play against men in the KHL.  If this guy was Canadian, he would have been in the upper half of the 1^st, because honestly what is not to like about this kid; he’s big, he plays a physical and complete game and he is a wicked playmaker and finds people with ease on the ice. Right now we see him as a centre going forward, but if he can develop his shot a little more, we could then see him becoming a pretty imposing winger. He’s a few years away, but not as far off as some believe.”

79^th Overall Pick

Kristers Gudlevskis

Goalie, Latvia

July 31^st, 1992 Aizkraukle, Latvia

HT: 6’4 WT: 190lbs

GM’s Take:

“The thing about Kristers is that he is a battler. He got better as the game went along in that pressure filled Latvia-Canada match in the Olympics.  With that said, he is still a very raw big goalie. He has the size and movement that can almost be said about most goalies coming up to the pros now. The once thing going for us is that we have depth at the goaltending position that will allow Kristers to come up slowly through the system. This should allow him to develop at a nice rate. “

95^th Overall Pick

Dylan Sadowy

Left Wing, Saginaw Spirit  

April 2^nd, 1996 Brampton, ON

HT: 6’1 WT: 183lbs

GM’s Take:

“We actually had another European on our board at this pick, but we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take Sadowy and just didn’t want to risk him falling to the next pick. This guy battles for every inch of the ice, and it certainly showed this year when he upped his goal count by 25 from his rookie year. The big thing for us, was that 24 of 27 goals came at even strength. This is a guy who didn’t rely on powerplay time to be a difference on offense.  His skating and defensive capabilities leave little to be desired, but fortunately he has time to work on those things. He is a guy who plays a very physical game, and he certainly showed that when he finished near the top of every category in the combine. We are confident this guy will play on the Panthers one day. It’s just a matter of if his hard work puts him on the top 2 lines or the bottom 2. He really has the tools to be on either. We are also looking forward to him probably being the captain on Saginaw this year and how he handles that.”

103^rd Overall Pick

Lucas Wallmark

Right Wing, Lulea  

September 5^th, 1995 Umea, Sweden  

HT: 6’0 WT: 176lbs

GM’s Take:

“We had Lucas on our draft board last year, but in the end we just ran out of picks. After getting passed up by everyone last year, he goes on to put up a point per game at the World Juniors and then somehow falls to us in the 4^th round.  He’s a young kid that already shows a ton of maturity at his age. His hockey IQ is among the best in the draft, and as an 18 year old in the SHL he was counted on in big defensive situations.  So those are some traits that we are really looking forward to seeing. He’s not the strongest skater, but he has the skill and mind to be a great player at both sides of the ice. We hope he can develop more offensive capabilities, but we see tons of potential in him becoming a defensively capable 3^rd liner who can help a team go deep in the playoffs. We expect him to spend another year or two in Sweden before jumping to the AHL.”