2021 Florida Panthers Draft Review

The Panthers were very busy over the back half of the draft. For the first time in a few years they didn’t hold a 1st round pick, dealing out of the round on two separate occasions; once last summer when trading the pick to Dallas in a deal for Phillip Grubauer and then dealing the Jets 1st this summer in a deal for Aaron Ekblad. All in total the Panthers selected 10 players over the back 5 rounds; 6 forwards and 4 defensemen. It was a draft that saw the Panthers max out their prospect list and take some long term projects and high reward bets. Let's take a closer look at all ten picks.

38th Overall

Logan Stankoven, Right Wing, Kamloops Blazers

Born: 26/02/2003 - Kamloops, British Columbia

HT: 5’8” WT: 170lbs 

GM Take: “Without a 1st round pick we decided to swing big on the list of players out there. Logan is definitely a player we had our eye on and despite his size, still rated him as a 1st round talent, so being able to grab him here. He’s got a wicked shot and is probably one of the most dangerous players in the offensive zone in the draft. His skating could still use some work but even at this point it’s not going to hold him back. While he has been playing at centre in Kamloops, I think it’s fair to say his route to the MRFHL will most likely be on the wing. This pick definitely set the tone for what we believe was a successful few days.”

92nd Overall

Aidan Hreschuk, Defenseman, Boston College

Born: 19/02/2003 - Long Beach, California

HT: 5’11” WT: 187lbs

GM Take: “I think as we got closer to these picks we knew that there was a very good chance we were picking two defencemen with the back to back. Aidan is a guy we’re really excited to see develop at the College level. He was given the “A” for the USA team at the U-18s and his tournament didn’t go the way I think many expected which probably helped us with him dropping down the list. He’s a steady defender who has the makeup of a prolific offensive playmaking defenseman but hasn’t quite exhibited that yet. He still moves the puck efficiently and battles hard on the defensive end. I think with those qualities we could easily see him becoming a 2nd pair guy in the future with us and hopefully continue to grow his game and maybe surprise us with an expansion of his game.”

93rd Overall

Ryan Ufko, Defenseman, Chicago Steel

Born: 07/05/2003 - Smithtown, New York

HT: 5’10” WT: 181lbs

GM Take: “Another sub 6 foot player added to the prospect list, which I know might scare away other teams but definitely not us. Ryan has already shown an ability to log big minutes and play a strong defensive game at the USHL level. He reads the game well and with an expanded role this year with Chicago he took a massive step forward in his offensive game. That’s the kind of development trend we like to see and we know we can be patient with him and allow to play as much College as he needs to refine his game. Another guy we could easily see taking a 2nd pair role in the future.” 

108th Overall

Elliot Desnoyers, Left Wing, Halifax Mooseheads

Born: 21/01/2002 - St-Hyacinthe, Quebec

HT: 5’11” WT: 172lbs

GM Take: “In a first of four of 2nd+ year eligible players, Elliot was a player on our draft boards last year but in the end just didn’t see that leap forward in his sophomore QMJHL season. He’s proven his ability to be a smart two-way winger, with his ability to get back in the play and be in the right position on both ends of the ice, just the questions remained about whether his offensive game could make that next step. After an off-season trade from Moncton to Halifax, he seemed to find a home and had by far his most productive season in junior leading his team and finishing top 10 in scoring in the Q. We’re really excited to see how he can continue to move his game forward over a full traditional season, but this past season made it an easy call for us to use a draft pick on him in this draft.”

111th Overall

Victor Berglund, Defenseman, Luleå HF

Born: 02/08/1999 - Örnsköldsvik, Sweden

HT: 6’0 WT: 179lbs

GM Take: “A bit of an older prospect here with Victor, as he’s been passed over in four drafts here in the MRFHL. The big thing we took notice of was his game didn’t falter at all as he transitioned up to the SHL this year. His offensive stats didn’t diminish at all and was rewarded with PP time. He’s definitely an offense first guy, so we can’t wait to see how that skillset translates to the North American game and how he can maybe shape his defensive game to see if he can secure a spot on the pro team. He’s a guy we could easily see running our PP one day.”

135th Overall

Samuel Walker, Centre, Univ. of Minnesota

Born: 07/06/1999 - Edina, Minnesota

HT: 5’11” WT: 170lbs

GM Take: “So far Samuel has done everything you’d want from him in his college career. He’s put up the offensive numbers that continue to get better every year, he was the B1G rookie of the year and he’s been captaining the Golden Gophers for two seasons. He’s an explosive skater that can finesse his way out of trouble when need be. We’re very excited to see him take that next step at the pro level hopefully very soon to see how his game translates to that next step.”

150th Overall

Jack Bar, Defenseman, Harvard University

Born: 07/10/2002 - Newmarket, Ontario

HT: 6’3” WT: 194lbs

GM Take: “A teammate of Ryan (Ufko) with the Chicago Steel this year, it was hard not to take a liking to the pair of defensemen. Jack in a similar way has the building blocks to play a very solid right shot defensive game at the pro level, but Jack at least has the advantage in size that could make that transition a little easier. He’s got a wicked shot from the point and has those moments of offensive creativity. Another college defenceman added to the group that will have time to develop.” 

155th Overall

Ty Voit, Left Wing, Sarnia Sting

Born: 10/06/2003 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

HT: 5’10” WT: 161lbs

GM Take: “I think heading late into the draft we knew we wanted to target some talented OHL players that missed this past season. I think you generally see players get those jumps in development in their draft year and skyrocket up the draft lists. Obviously missing a year of development is never a good thing, but we took a chance on a few guys, starting with Voit, that might not have been here under normal circumstances. Ty has got that shiftiness and speed that you sometimes expect with smallish wingers and recently he’s bulked up and should be a stronger and more confident player in the upcoming year. We’re really excited to see that progression which should hopefully be that 2 year leap from when we last saw him play.” 

167th Overall

Pontus Holmberg, Left Wing, Växjö Lakers HC

Born: 09/03/1999 - Västerås, Sweden

HT: 5’11” WT: 179lbs

GM Take: “Pontus is definitely a late riser on our boards and someone we thought worth taking a gamble on with a late pick. He’s been playing steadily in the SHL for the past few years now but nothing massively stood out. He’s a smart player with some decent speed and has shown some flashes of his offensive tools. Each season saw his point totals steadily improve in small increments, but again nothing that wowed us. That was until he exploded offensively in the playoffs and was named the playoff MVP for the champion Vaxjo Lakers. Whether this was the coming out party for Pontus or just a hot few weeks remains to be seen but with a 6th round pick it’s always a gamble and there’s some evidence there that this one could pay off really well.”

183rd Overall

Connor Lockhart, Centre, Erie Otters

Born: 21/01/2003 - Ottawa, Ontario

HT: 5’9” WT: 161lbs

GM Take: “Like Voit, another player who missed out on a season of hockey and we couldn’t be more excited to grab him at the end of the 6th. A crafty player with some speed to his game, he’s already shown a top level ability to be a playmaker. His size is obviously something that can hold him back and his future probably isn’t at centre but another player that we’d happily bet on improving his stock post draft and make people wonder why they passed on him multiple times.”