At this time last year, the Florida Panthers collection of picks for 2026 NHL Entry Draft was looking rather bare. The Cats had just won their second Stanley Cup in a row and were already busting out the terms “three-peat” and “dynasty.” Success in the season to come seemed like a forgone conclusion.
However, Florida’s struggles during the 2025-26 campaign resulted in the return of a top-10 protected first round pick that nobody thought would come back to the Cats. In late June, the Cats also moved Justin Sourdif to Washington for the Capitals’ second round selection. The Panthers looked set to enter the draft with three of the top-50 picks — No. 9, No. 40, and No. 48. Picks like these are a boon to a developmental system that is very low on high-skill, blue chip prospects.
On Sunday, the Panthers sent Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle for the 25th overall pick and then quickly moved the two first-rounders to Ottawa for Brady Tkachuk, so they will be most likely be spectators in Friday’s opening round of the draft.
As of this morning, the Cats still possess picks 40 and 48, so here are a few interesting names that might be available with Florida’s pair of second-round selections.
Simas Ignatavicius (6-2.5, 201) • Geneve-Servette (Swiss NL)
Ranked anywhere from No. 28 to No. 63, Ignatavicius is a consensus second round talent. A sizeable and physically advanced teenager, he is an identity match with how the Panthers want their forwards to play. While a bit on the raw side, Ignatavicius has tools. He moves his feet well and displays cycling attributes with his puck protection and wall play. His hand-eye coordination is very good and he’s often planted in front of the net. Ignatavicius played 52 games amongst professional men in the Swiss National League and didn’t look out of place at all. In his draft interviews, he compared himself to Matthew Tkachuk. While he likely doesn’t have Tkachuk’s elite hands or his even more elite mouth, Ignatavicius does play with grit and a willingness to go into the hard areas. All the scouting reports mention his dedication to playing both sides of the ice. Ignatavicius is Lithuanian and has represented the country on the international circuit, but he was born in Memphis, Tennessee. There is a lot to like about Ignatavicius and the Panthers, under Bill Zito, have never been a team to shy away from a player from a non-traditional hockey background.
Jakub Vanacek (6-2, 203) • Tri-City (WHL)
There is a decent chance that Vanacek will be available at No. 40 for the Panthers, but gone by No. 48. A left-handed defenseman that is constantly moving his feet and in motion, Vanacek ticks all the boxes of a player you can envision in a top-4 role five or six years from now. Like most young blueliners outside the top-10, Vanacek is still learning how best to defend, especially when the ice is slowed down in a cycle. On the rush and with the puck on his stick is where he shines. He uses his feet to push up ice, to close gaps on opposing rushes, and he’s also a threat to score. Vanacek potted 14 goals in 59 games in his first season in the WHL with Tri-City. He’s a prospect that fans would have to wait on, but if developed correctly, Vanacek has the chance to be a strong, two-way defenseman in the NHL for a long time.
Ryan Roobroeck (6-3, 210) • Niagra (OHL)
Depending on what scouting report you read, Roobroeck is either a late first round pick or a bottom of the second round selection. It kind of depends on what day you might have watched him. One game, Roobroeck looks like a world-beater. He’s got size and he can finish. He’s not a bad skater either. Then, the next day, he looks disinterested, his skill doesn’t show up, and he’s not physical or competitive enough to be a factor. Roobroeck is the definition of a boom or bust prospect. Boom is scoring 41 goals in 64 games for Niagra last year at age 17. Bust is being labeled a “soft big man” by scouts. There is a good chance that Roobroeck plays NHL games, possibly even becoming a big time power-play threat. There is an equal chance he ends up in Europe for much of his career. A team is going to take a flyer on him in the first two rounds and find out. Normally, the Panthers probably wouldn’t target a player like Roobroeck, but if he’s still sitting there at No. 40 or even No. 48, the tantalizing potential might be worth the risk with two top-50 picks in play.
Ben Macbeath (6-2.25, 196) • Calgary (WHL)
The Panthers value mobility on the blue line and Macbeath might be the best skating defenseman in the draft. He is so nimble and agile — moving effortlessly and gliding across the ice. He looks good navigating both blue lines but definitely prioritizes his defensive responsibilities. Macbeath isn’t overly physical, but he held his own in the WHL, and put up 51 points in 67 games for the Hitmen. He’s moving to the NCAA level next year and will play for the Denver Pioneers. Macbeath wouldn’t be a flashy pickup, but he very well could be there for the Cats at No. 48 and he would immediately upgrade a defensive prospect pipeline that hasn’t seen a blueliner drafted in the second round or higher since Evan Nause in 2021.
Tomas Chrenko (5-11, 172) • Nitra (Slovakia)
Centers with excellent skill usually get gobbled up early and that could very well be what happens with Chrenko. A late first round, early second round talent, Chrenko is a puck-handling wizard. He regularly scores highlight reel goals with his dekes, but he can also whistle shots. A dynamic offensive player, Chrenko has some shiftiness in the offensive zone and he finds ways to create off the rush or the cycle. Like most young players with great skill, he needs work rounding out his 200-foot game, but he played all season in the top league in Slovakia and put up 43 points across 63 total games en route to a league championship. By all accounts, Chrenko has a good motor and is not afraid to bump bodies, though he’s more pesky than intimidating. A good Panther-friendly comparison might be Gracyn Sawchyn. They are roughly the same size and both have top-end vision in the offensive third. Chrenko would project as a better goal-scorer and may eventually end up on the wing at the NHL level. If he’s still available after day one, Chrenko is the type of talent Zito might trade into the mid-30s to snag.