Florida Panthers Select Six Players at 2026 NHL Draft

The Florida Panthers selected six players at the 2026 NHL Draft, held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

What happened at the draft?

The Panthers chose Simas Ignatavicius, a forward from Genève-Servette HC, with the 40th overall pick in Round 2.

The team also selected Ryder Cali, a forward from North Bay Battalion, with the 48th overall pick in Round 2.

Who are the new players?

Ignatavicius, 18, skated in 52 games with Genève-Servette HC, accumulating 13 points and a plus-seven rating.

Cali, 17, played in 47 Ontario Hockey League games, producing 36 points.

Why it matters for Florida Panthers

The new players will help strengthen the Panthers' roster, currently standing 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 40-38 record and on a W3 streak as of June 28, 2026.

The team's President of Hockey Operations & General Manager, Bill Zito, expressed excitement about working with the new players.

What comes next?

The Panthers will work with the new players to develop their skills and integrate them into the team.

The team's fans are eagerly awaiting the upcoming season, hoping the new players will bring success to the franchise.

And with the draft complete, the Panthers will focus on preparing for the new season.

But the team's current standing and record indicate a need for improvement.

So the Panthers will rely on their new players to make a positive impact.

The team's captain, Aleksander Barkov, has a connection to one of the new players, Vilho Vanhatalo, who played for Tappara Tampere, a team partly owned by Barkov.

Vanhatalo, 18, competed in eight games with Tappara Tampere and played in 38 games with Tappara's U20 club, producing 19 points.

The Panthers also selected Jonas Kemps, a defenseman from Chicago Steel, with the 98th overall pick in Round 4.

Kemps, 18, skated in 57 United States Hockey League games, producing nine points.

The team's other selections included Cole Zurawski, a forward from Owen Sound Attack, and Louis-Antoine Denault, a goaltender from Newfoundland Regiment.

Zurawski, 18, played in 63 Ontario Hockey League games, producing 46 points.

Denault, 19, appeared in several games for Newfoundland Regiment.

The Panthers are looking forward to working with their new players and making them a part of the team.

The team's fans are excited to see the new players in action and are hoping for a successful season.

The Panthers will face challenges in the upcoming season, but with their new players, they are ready to take on the competition.