Panthers Draft Recap- 2 of 2 (2010 Edition)

96th Overall Pick

Carl Gunnarsson, Defense, Linkoping HC

Born: November 9, 1986   Orebro, Sweden

HT: 6’2”  WT: 196 lbs

GM’s Take:

“All year we had Gunnarsson on our draft lists. Trying to judge whether anyone else was aware of him, should we draft him early or can we wait later and get him. We finally came to the 96^th pick and we couldn’t risk it anymore. The guy is a great solid defenseman. He isn’t overall great at anything but he is calm and makes the defensive plays that count. He has some offensive potential, but all we want from him is to play a confident solid two-way game. He will be on our opening lineup for this upcoming season.”

99th Overall Pick

Marcel Mueller, Left Wing, Cologne Sharks

Born: July 10, 1988   Berlin, Germany

HT: 6’4”  WT: 220 lbs

GM’s Take:

“What can we gather from Mueller, well we didn’t have a clue who he was. That all changed after the Olympics. He was a standout for Germany and quickly rose in our draft books. What’s not to like about him; he’s big, he is pretty quick for his size and he has a great shot. The guy is a great power forward for us, and if his game can translate well enough, then he will have been an excellent pick for us.”

113th Overall Pick

Stephan Silas, Defense, Belleville Bulls

Born: June 26, 1992   Brampton, Ont

HT: 6’1”  WT: 183 lbs

GM’s Take:

“Being close to Belleville we got a good first hand look at Silas and he is a very good pick for us. We have high end offensive D coming through the ranks, but Silas is a guy who can shut you down. He is not a big guy but he can read a play well and play angles well enough to shut down some top scorers. Our hope for him is to come into the MRFHL, and be a bottom pairing D and hopefully be a key part on the PK.”

122nd Overall Pick

Craig Cunningham, Left Wing, Vancouver Giants

Born: September 13, 1990   Trail, BC

HT: 5’10”  WT: 184 lbs

GM’s Take:

“We hesitated at this pick I think, we weren’t sure on whom to pick but I think we came out strong though. Cunningham seems like a high risk pick for us, he is a smaller player but he has some offensive skills. If he can hone these skills he can be a good pick for us, though in the end our highest expectation is to be a third liner.”

141st Overall Pick

Jussi Rynnas, Goalie, Assat

Born: May 22, 1987  Pori, Finland

HT: 6’4”  WT: 205 lbs

GM’s Take:

“A big, mobile goalie who has really popped onto the scene late. He could really become a game changer. He is a technically sound goaltender who we think can really pressure Mason in the future. Along with Mueller and Gunnarsson, this draft was more concentrated on getting players a little more into their development and I think we succeeded and got 3 really top notch players.”

 and Maxim Kitsyn