The Florida Panthers selected left-shot defenseman Luke Coughlin in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Before being chosen by the Panthers, the mobile two-way blueliner played two seasons for the Rimouski Oceanic after being taken fourth overall in the first round of the 2021 QMJHL Draft.
Coughlin was limited to just 37 regular season games during his draft year, totaling five goals and 14 assists. His 19 points were one more than he produced during his freshman season with the Oceanic, when he appeared in 55 games.
Why are there so few games played? Coughlin broke his collarbone at the end of the 2021-22 season. After returning from the injury early in the 2022-23 campaign, he was sidelined again after suffering an ankle injury which required surgery.
Returning to his stats – two of his five goals came on the power play and he registered 42 shots on goal, accumulated 16 penalty minutes and finished with a plus-five rating.
Coughlin appeared in all nine of Rimouski’s postseason games before the Oceanic were swept in the second round by eventual league champions and Memorial Cup winner, the Quebec Remparts. He enjoyed a productive playoff run, scoring once (a power-play marker) and adding six assists. He registered 16 shots on goal (1.78 per game) and finished with an even rating.
Elite Prospects had this to say in its 2023 NHL Draft Guide:
With his loose hips and flexibility, Coughlin can easily shift his weight to launch himself around opponents and open up his skates to walk the blue line while facing his options. He’s a fluid mover at the offensive blue line and a deceptive one, too, as he uses hip pocket handling and fake shots to keep defenders at bay and move the puck or find good lanes to fire in.
After attending Florida’s 2023 development camp and coming back for rookie camp and the 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase, Coughlin returned to Rimouski for his third season with the Oceanic.
While Coughlin set new personal highs with 20 assists and 22 points, his development was again hampered by a stark lack of game action. He suited up for just 42 regular season tilts and was unavailable for the entirety of Rimouski’s first round playoff loss to the Cape Breton Eagles.
Despite missing 26 games, Coughlin was the third-highest scoring defensemen on the team. He notched two goals, one of which was a game-winner, and finished the season with a plus-two rating and 28 PIM. Eight (1G/7A) of his 22 points came on the power play.
In July of 2024, Coughlin made his second appearance at development camp – one of ten defensemen invited to attend the event.
In his final season of major junior, Coughlin suited up in 54 regular season games for the Oceanic and his 24 points and plus-28 rating established new-career highs in those categories. He appeared in nine of the team’s 23 playoff games and finished the postseason with a goal and two helpers as Rimouski advanced to the league final before losing six to Moncton.
Due to injuries, Coughlin played just 188 of a possible 272 regular games (69%) over the four years he spent in the “Q” – stunting his growth. Unready for the professional ranks, he decided to go the NCAA route, joining the University of Maine Black Bears.
Unfortunately, Coughlin was limited to just ten games as a 20-year-old freshman. He collected his first collegiate point with an assist against Lindenwood on December 13 and picked up another helper against the Lions a day later. He finished the year with two assists, nine blocked shots and eight shots on goal.
In a bid for more ice time, Coughlin decided to leave the Black Bears, entering the transfer portal in the spring to move to Ferris State University, where he play his sophomore season with the Bulldogs.
Despite the rocky development path he’s been on, the Panthers still see something in Coughlin, who after not attending in 2025, earned an invite to this summer’s development camp. The mission statement for this season is pretty simple. More playing time is needed for this sleeper prospect, who started off as a forward in minor hockey, to finally blossom.