The Florida Panthers were ranked 29th in The Athletic’s NHL Pipeline rankings 2025 ($)
Here’s what Corey Pronman had to say about the Cats:
The only legit top young player left in this pipeline is Mackie Samoskevich, Florida’s first-round pick from 2021. There isn’t much top talent after him; however, the Panthers have several players they’ve picked in the mid-rounds who I think have a chance to play NHL games.
2024 ranking: 23
2025 NHL Draft grade: C
Player Ranking
1. Mackie Samoskevich, RW
November 15, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 181 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 24 in 2021
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Samoskevich became a full-time NHL player this season for Florida with some very good stretches of play. He’s a talented winger with a lot of NHL offensive traits. He’s a quick skater with very good hands who can create scoring chances with speed. He also has an excellent shot and is a threat to score from range. Samoskevich has improved his effort over time, but he does still tend to stay too much on the outside of the offensive zone. He projects as a middle-six scoring winger.
2. Linus Eriksson, C
March 23, 2006 | 6-feet | 190 pounds | Shoots left
Drafted: No. 58 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Eriksson bounced between the Allsvenskan and SHL for Timra and played a limited role for Sweden at the World Juniors. You’ll never watch Eriksson and come away thinking how impactful he was offensively, but coaches tend to trust him. He’s a worker bee who plays a reliable two-way game and projects as a pro center. He’s a good skater and puck handler who makes enough plays. He’s not that big, but he plays hard and has the potential to be a fourth-line NHL center.
3. Simon Zether, C
October 18, 2005 | 6-foot-3 | 187 pounds | Shoots right
Drafted: No. 129 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Below NHL average
Analysis: Zether was good versus men in the Allsvenskan. He’s a big center who has a good enough skill level and can make difficult plays with the puck. He doesn’t have great speed, but he can beat defenders wide due to his hands, frame and willingness to attack the middle. Zether competes well and can play both ways. The big debate about him with scouts is the aforementioned skating issues and exactly how much offense is in his game/the level of hockey IQ he has. I think it’s good enough for him to potentially be a fourth-line forward.
Has a chance to play (in alphabetical order)
Gracyn Sawchyn is a forward with a ton of skill and good enough pace. He’s not that big, though, and his compete is average. Jack Devine lit up college hockey. He’s a very smart playmaker with legit NHL puck play, but he’s a small, awkward skater. Mads Kongsbak Klyvo plays a fast, competitive style of play with minor questions on his overall level of offense.
Shea Busch, LW
June 12, 2007 | 6-foot-2 | 214 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 128 in 2025
Jack Devine, RW
October 2, 2003 | 6-feet | 181 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 221 in 2022
Denis Gabdrakhmanov, G
June 22, 2005 | 6-foot-5 | 194 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 201 in 2024
Olof Glifford, G
March 5, 2005 | 6-foot-5 | 198 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 159 in 2023
Stepan Gorbunov, C
August 11, 2006 | 6-foot-5 | 196 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 169 in 2024
Mads Kongsbak Klyvo, LW
May 3, 2007 | 6-foot-2 | 194 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 112 in 2025
Tyler Muszelik, G
July 1, 2004 | 6-foot-3 | 194 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 189 in 2022
Gracyn Sawchyn, C
January 19, 2005 | 6-feet | 154 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 63 in 2023
Matvei Shuravin, D
March 22, 2006 | 6-foot-2 | 172 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 97 in 2024
Hunter St. Martin, LW
June 13, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 193 in 2024
Sandis Vilmanis, LW
January 23, 2004 | 6-foot-2 | 192 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 157 in 2022
Matthew Tkachuk has underwent a successful procedure this offseason to repair a torn adductor muscle, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Tkachuk will miss at least the first two months of the season, and it’s possible he will not back on the ice until after the All-Star break. He had 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games last season and despite the being injured, was one of three Panthers to finish the postseason with 23 points.
The Chicago Blackhawks inked forward Frank Nazar to a seven-year, $46 million contract extension. Nazar’s lucrative new deal begins at the start of the 2026–27 season, after he plays out the final year of his entry-level contract. After a strong start with AHL Rockford, Nazar earned a call-up to the big league in mid-December. He appeared in 56 NHL games and put up 13 goals and 27 points. Ten of those points (6G/4A) came in the final 12 games of the season. The 21-year-old followed up the strong finish to his rookie campaign with an impressive performance at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, helping Team USA win its first gold medal since 1933. He led the Americans in scoring with 12 points in 10 games.
The Minnesota Wild signed center Marco Rossi to a new three-year contract worth $15 million. Rossi finished second on the Wild in scoring with 60 points and his 24 goals were third-most on the team. In six postseason games, he produced two goals an an assist for Minnesota, who was eliminated in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights.