Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito grabbed his second forward of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal when he chose pesky Josh Davies in the sixth round (186th overall). The Panthers received this pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets for helping facilitate the trade of Maxi Domi to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 21, 2022.
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, collecting 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 with the Panthers, Davies returned to Swift Current for the 2022-23 season. 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 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 professional 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.
Following a trade to the Portland Winterhawks, making him teammates with fellow Florida prospect Marek Alshcher, and in the midst of a strong start to his third season of major junior, Davies was signed to an entry-level contract by the Panthers on December 7, 2023.
He finished the campaign with new WHL highs of 36 goals, 25 assists and 61 points as Portland finished third in the Western Conference. Davies’ 13 power-plays goals were tied for the most on the team with leading scorer Gabe Klassen. He led the Winterhawks with 91 PIM and registered 188 shot on goals and scored once shorthanded.
In the playoffs, Davies produced five goals, six assists and 31 PIM in 13 games as Portland advanced to the Conference Finals before they were sent packing in six games by the Prince George Cougars.
Prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, Davies was in South Florida for a third turn at development camp and scored the eventual game-winning goal for Team Red in the scrimmage held on the final day. He attended training camp and got in some preseason action before he was assigned to Charlotte, beginning the season in the AHL.
After making just three appearances with the Checkers in October, he was sent to the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates and earned a recall on November 11 after scoring twice in a 4-3 win over the Idaho Steelheads.
Davies went on to play another 15 tilts with Charlotte over the next few months, but failed to pick up a point in his 18 games in the American League. He did accumulate 27 PIM while registering a total of 13 shots on goal, including three in his final game of the season with team on February 1, in a 3-2 loss to the Penguins.
He did better with the Ghost Pirates, finishing his rookie stint in the ECHL with 11 goals and five assists in 34 games played.
The 21-year-old Davies is an energetic skater who, despite his size, brings physicality to the table. He had a rough go of it in his first professional season and will be looking to improve in 2025-26.