Meet the Florida Panthers’ six picks from the 2025 NHL Draft
It was a relatively quiet NHL Draft for the Florida Panthers. The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions only made six picks in the seven-round draft and didn’t select until the fourth round after previously trading away earlier picks to build their core.
Their first-round pick? To Calgary for Matthew Tkachuk.
Their second-round pick? To Toronto for an extra second-round pick last year, which the Panthers used to select center Linus Eriksson.
And their third-round pick? To Ottawa as part of their deal at the 2024 trade deadline to acquire forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who became a pivotal player on the Panthers’ third line on their way to their first Stanley Cup.
In fact, Florida hasn’t picked in the first round of the draft since taking Mackie Samoskevich 24th overall in 2021. They’re currently without a first-round pick through 2027.
But considering dealing those picks got the Panthers Sam Reinhart (2022 pick), Seth Jones (2026 pick) and Brad Marchand (2027 pick) — plus rentals in Ben Chiarot (2023 pick) and Claude Giroux (2024 pick) — it’s safe to say things have worked out.
Here’s a quick rundown of Florida’s six selections on Saturday.
Round 4, No. 112 — Mads Kongsbak Klyvo
The Danish forward had 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in J20 Nationell in Sweden last year.
Elite Prospects describes him as a “toolsy, above-average-skating two-way winger who shows finesse in transition.”
“At 6-foot-2 and almost 200 pounds, he combines the ideal power forward build with projectable skating ability,” his scouting report continues. “Thanks to his ideal mechanics and low centre of gravity, he’s very hard to knock out of balance, but he’s also explosive and fast. In combination with a good work rate, his skating makes him a big-time nuisance on the forecheck and backcheck alike
Round 4, No. 128 — Shea Busch
The winger, a Penn State commit, played 22 games with the Vernon Vipers in the British Columbia Hockey League and 39 games with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. He combined for 23 goals and 13 assists in those 61 games.
His scouting report from Elite prospects: “Some shifts, it seems impossible to knock Busch off the puck. He leans into defenders’ space, using every limb required to lock them on his back. With reverse hits and stiff arms, he creates some separation, and then he shows some playmaking touch to find an open teammate.”
Round 5, No. 129 — Shamar Moses
The forward had 48 points (12 goals, 36 assists) in 61 games for the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League last year.
“Moses has eyes on the back of his head, spotting teammates cutting behind him and dropping them the puck just as defenders collapse on him,” reads his scouting report from Elite Prospects. “He constantly uses outlets all around him, involving multiple layers of offence in the attack. On top of never giving away his intentions, he can fire missiles to the top of the net, shield possession on the wall, and push through checks before sending passes to teammates in space.”
Round 6, No. 192 — Arvid Drott
The forward had 18 goals and 36 points in Sweden’s J20 Nationell last year.
Elite Prospects says Drott is a “powerful skater with projectable quickness and a level of directness to his game, allowing him to burst through the coverage and beat defenders to the outside before driving the net.”
Round 7, No. 197 — Brendan Dunphy
The defenseman, a UConn commit, had 22 points in the WHL last year. Florida traded a seventh rounder in 2026 to get the extra seventh-round selection.
Elite Prospects calls Dunphy “a battler. He shoves opponents to the ice, pins them to the walls, and tosses them away from his net. When defending the rush, his reach acts as a deterrent, keeping his stick in the middle and forcing opponents to peel away. He sets pick on opponents, absorbs contact on retrievals, and occasionally starts the breakout.”
Round 7, No. 224 — Yegor Midlak
The Panthers close the draft with their annual goaltender selection. The 18-year-old has size at 6-6 and had a .941 save percentage in four games in the MHL.
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