Comments / New

Florida Panthers 2023 Prospect Profile: Josh Davies

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito grabbed his second forward of the  2022 NHL Entry Draft when he chose pesky Josh Davies in the sixth round (186th overall). This was the pick the Cats received from the Columbus Blue Jackets for helping facilitate the trade of Maxi Domi to the Carolina Hurricanes on Deadline Day.

Davies appeared in 64 games with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos during his draft season, posting 36 points (16G/20A) which ranked fourth on the club. He was second on the team with 163 shots on goal and led in penalty minutes with 119.

On the international stage, the 5-foot-9, 197-pound native of Airdrie, Alberta played in three games with Canada at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship, registering one assist.

Heading into the draft, Davies was unranked in Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft Final Rankings Top 305 and carried a C grade (NHL Draft consideration but unranked in our final list).

They had this to say on the prospect:

Davies is an excellent skater and puck carrier. He is a responsible two-way forward who showed that he can both produce offensively and be there to help out in the D-zone as well. He is a strong skater with decent size, but he is not big enough to bully his way to success. What he lacks in size is made up for with his vast collection of tools. He is quick, has elite speed and can make plays with the puck with pace. He showed the ability here to make quick decisions under duress and has natural offensive instincts. Joshua will walk through the top of the circles and slip through the seams looking for opportunities to make plays. He was giving perfect sauce passes in stride, maneuvering his way through traffic with elusive stick skill, and showed a rocket snapshot. A talented player with bite and compete who finished this tournament with two goals and four assists in seven games.

After attending both development camp and training camp, Davies returned to Swift Current for the 2022-23 campaign. He hit the 20-goal mark for the first time and added 14 assists in 62 games played. Three of his goals came shorthanded, tying him for the team lead with Connor Hvidston. Davies topped the Broncos in penalty minutes (131) again and was third in shots on goal (157) behind leading scorers Josh Filmon and Mathew Ward.

With his club falling a bit short of a postseason birth, Davies signed an amateur tryout contract with the Charlotte Checkers at the end of March. After some practice time, he made his AHL debut on April 15 in a 5-4 overtime road win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the second period was his only impact on the score sheet. He did not suit up for another game with the Checkers the rest of the way.

Davies is an energetic skater who brings a mixture of physicality and scoring to the table. The left winger has a high engine and boasts explosive first steps. Davies likes to outflank defenders with his speed and isn’t afraid to attack the net or deliver heavy body checks. He is the type of player that is loved by teammates and utterly despised by the opposition.

Look for Davies to again get an invite to development camp and training camp before he returns to the WHL for another season with Swift Current.

Talking Points