Who could the Panthers pick in the first round of the NHL Draft? Here are some options
The Florida Panthers now know where they stand in the 2026 NHL Draft.
After missing out on the top two selections via the draft lottery on Tuesday, which saw the Toronto Maple Leafs move from No. 5 to No. 1 and the San Jose Sharks move from No. 11 to No. 2, the Panthers will have the No. 9 overall selection in the draft, which begins June 26 at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center.
It’s the Panthers’ first first-round selection since 2021 when they selected forward Mackie Samoskevich at No. 24 overall and their highest selection since picking defenseman Aaron Ekblad at No. 1 overall in 2014.
While the expected top selections in the draft are nearly unanimous — Penn State forward Gavin McKenna and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg are expected to go first and second in some order — the rest of the prospect pool at the top of the draft is a bit unclear in terms of pecking order.
What’s also unclear is if the Panthers will hold onto their first-round pick or use it as part of a trade package this offseason in an attempt to bolster an already loaded roster with yet another star.
We’ll worry about that part down the road.
For now, here’s a look at some of the prospects the Panthers could consider with the No. 9 overall pick, listed alphabetically by last name.
Forward Ethan Belchetz
A winger for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, Belchetz would add size (6-5, 227 pounds) to Florida’s forward group. He has scored 51 goals and produced 97 points during the past two seasons in the OHL.
Forward Viggo Bjorck
Along with projected top-two pick Stenberg, Bjorck was one of the top players on Sweden’s team that won the 2026 World Juniors in January. The sturdy 18-year-old winger had nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven games at the tournament. He made his debut in the Swedish Hockey League, the highest level of hockey in the country, last season and put up 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 42 games.
Defenseman Carson Carels
Carels is a do-it-all defenseman who dominated last season for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists). ESPN compares him to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski, a perennial Norris Trophy contender.
Forward Oscar Hemming
The 17-year-old Finnish forward just finished his freshman season at Boston College, a move that came following a contract dispute where his Finnish club, Kiekko-Espoo, blocked his move to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. Hemming produced eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 19 games at BC.
Forward Tynan Lawrence
Lawrence, 6-0 and 185 pounds, played 18 games as a freshman at Boston University last season, logging just seven points (two goals, five assists). But the 17-year-old has a strong track record for success. He had a strong showing at the World Juniors for Canada, with six points (two goals, four assists) in five games and was a standout in the United States Hockey League for a season and a half (71 points in 69 games) before going the NCAA route. He plays a strong two-way game at center, a trait the Panthers prioritize up the middle.
Forward Caleb Malhotra
Malhotra, 6-2 and 183 pounds, wrapped up a dominant season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL with 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists). The 17-year-old is signed to play collegiately at Boston University and projects to stay at center long-term.
Defenseman Alberts Smits
The Panthers have had success with Latvian players as of late — see defenseman Uvis Balinskis and forward Sandis Vilmanis — so why not get perhaps the top hockey prospect to come from the country? Smits, 6-3 and 205 pounds, played alongside the Panthers’ Latvians at the Olympics and held his own in Milan despite being just 18 years old, averaging 18:44 of ice time per game and logging a pair of assists in four games. He played professionally last season for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland’s top-tier hockey league.
.JPG)