It is the Florida Panthers'; 25th anniversary season this year, throughout
which there will be plenty of attention given to past franchise stars like Olli
 Jokinen and Ed Jovanovski. Before the season, however, is a good time to look
back on all of the Panthers'; 26 entry drafts. They have hosted the event twice
 in their history, first in 2001 and then in 2015. We';ll see how they fared in
 each of those as well as the other 24 as we rank each year from 26 to 1.

These rankings are subjective, but in determining which drafts were stronger
than others, I considered a couple of different things. First, picks are
evaluated based on the player';s career in hockey, not just with the Panthers.
The goal of the draft is to find the best player- a bad trade does not
disqualify a good selection. Additionally, some weight is given to later round
picks that were able to have good NHL careers. It is more difficult to find and
 develop value in the fifth round than say, the first. A straightforward,
quantifiable piece of data used to determine draft success is the total amount
of games played from each year. Finally, I gave the most value to elite, high
impact players that made a positive difference every game no matter their team
or situation.

Without further delay, here are the rankings:26: 2000, GM Bill TorreyNotable
Selection: Janis Sprukts (Rd. 8, 234th overall)

You ever heard of this guy? That';s because he has just 14 games to his NHL
career. He was the most successful of the Panthers'; eight draft picks this
season, earning 2000 the worst and final spot on this list.Bill Torrey was the
Panthers'; first president and helped establish the team in South Florida. He
passed away in May, and will be honored during the Panthers 25th anniversary
season. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)25: 2005, GM Mike
KeenanNotable Selection: Kenndal McArdle (Rd. 1, 20th overall)

McArdle had higher expectations than just 42 games of NHL experience as an
enforcer with the Panthers, during which he recorded one goal and 51 penalty
minutes. He spent the majority of his pro career between the AHL and ECHL until
 he retired in 2014. He was the lone Panthers draft pick from this summer to
record NHL minutes.24: 2008, GM Jacques MartinNotable Selections: Jacob
Markstrom (Rd. 2, 31st overall), Matt Bartkowski (Rd. 7, 190th overall)

Jacob Markstrom was drafted with significant expectations to be the successor
to goaltender, Tomas Vokoun, but he was never able to establish himself as much
 more than a backup. His lasting mark was left on the Panthers when they traded
 him as part of a package to Vancouver in exchange for Roberto Luongo. At 28
years old, last season was his first with a starter';s workload as he played in
 60 games and posted a save percentage of 0.912.

Matt Bartkowski has 253 games of experience mostly as a third-pair defenseman.
His stat line is nothing special with 47 points and 157 penalty minutes, but
good for the seventh-round pick to make a living playing hockey. He spent his
first five seasons as part of the Boston Bruins organization before getting
bounced between the Canucks, Calgary Flames, and this year, the Minnesota
Wild.23: 2009, GM Randy SextonNotable Selections: Dmitry Kulikov (Rd. 1, 14th
overall), Drew Shore (Rd. 2, 44th overall)

Kulikov, another first-round pick for the Panthers, came in with high
expectations. He began his NHL career at 18 years old and spent the better part
 of his development on some of Florida';s most brutal teams. The first few
seasons of his career were full of turnovers, but he';s since transformed into
a reliable defenseman with a fantastic shot.Kulikov as a member of the Panthers
 in 2014. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Panthers traded him in 2016 in exchange for Mark Pysyk, and he signed his
big free-agent contract last summer with the Winnipeg Jets, though he is still
a fan favorite among many and spends the offseason training in South Florida.
He';s totaled 33 goals and 154 points over his 569 game career.

Drew Shore, a forward from Denver, Colorado, has spent the majority of his
career in the AHL but he recorded 94 NHL games, mostly with the Panthers
between 2012 and 2014. He had a successful AHL career, posting 140 points in
205 games and being named to the All-Star Team twice. In 2016, he moved to play
 in Switzerland';s National League, and that is where he remains today.22:
2015, GM Dale TallonNotable Selections: Lawson Crouse (Rd. 1, 11th overall),
Samuel Montembeault (Rd. 3, 77th overall), Denis Malgin (Rd. 4, 102nd overall)

The Panthers were on home ice for this one. In the midst of their rebuild
coming to fruition, they excitedly selected power-forward Lawson Crouse at
number 11 overall. Just 14 months later, he was traded to Arizona with Dave
Bolland (and his contract) in exchange for two future draft picks. Crouse has
recorded 13 points in 83 NHL contests but played well in the AHL for the
majority of last season and still has promise at 21 years old.

Canadian goaltender, Sam Montembeault was drafted in the third round out of the
 QMJHL as one of the better goalie prospects of this year. He completed his
first professional season last year as a member of the Panthers AHL affiliate
Springfield Thunderbirds with a save percentage of .896 and goals-against
average of 3.25. We will wait to see if he can step in as Luongo steps out the
door, but Montembeault remains the Panthers top prospect at the position.Denis
Malgin';s chances are good to make the team from a group of at least ten vying
for a place in Florida';s bottom six. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Denis Malgin is perhaps the Panthers best pick of the 2015 draft class. The
5-foot-9 Swiss forward unexpectedly forced his way onto the team out of
training camp in 2016 and has spent the better part of the last two seasons up
with the team. He';s played in 98 games so far, recording 32 points and
receiving significant trust from coaches, earning minutes in all situations.
Malgin should continue to be a front-runner for a bottom-six position with the
Panthers this season.21: 1997, GM Bryan MurrayNotable Selections: Kristian
Huselius (Rd. 2, 47th overall), Ivan Novoseltsev (Rd. 4, 95th overall)

Huselius was one of the more popular and proficient scorers on the Panthers
teams of the early 2000s before being traded to Calgary in December, 2005. He
signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent in the summer of 2008 and
 continued his success until his career was cut short by a groin injury in
2011. He failed to reach the 20-goal plateau just twice over the course of his
nine year NHL career which concluded with 662 games played and 451 points.

Novoseltsev was a serviceable Russian forward for the Panthers for a couple of
seasons. He scored 13  and 29 points at his best in 2001-02. After the lockout
 in 2004-05, he was bounced between Russian leagues and the AHL until 2009. His
 NHL totals amass to 234 games played and 75 points.20: 2007, GM Jacques
MartinNotable Selections: Keaton Ellerby (Rd. 1, 10th overall), Evgenii Dadonov
 (Rd. 3, 71st overall)

Keaton Ellerby is another first-round pick on a list of Panthers that never
quite lived up to his draft hype. The gritty, stay-at-home defenseman could not
 find a regular role on the Panthers'; blue line (other than to turn the puck
over) between 2009 and 2013. He finished his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets
in 2015, logging 212 games played and 27 points.

Dadonov makes this draft particularly difficult to rank. He showed promise in
his first two seasons with the team, scoring 20 points in 51 games before he
left North America for the KHL in 2012. There, he flourished. The quick winger
was named to the 2013 All-Star team and was an integral part of SKA St.
Petersburg';s Gagarin Cup championships in 2015 and 2017. His KHL totals come
to 311 games played and 240 points.The Florida Panthers reacquired right wing
Evgenii Dadonov last summer. (Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports)

Last summer, he re-signed with the team that drafted him and proved to be
perhaps the offseason';s most valuable signing. Playing the entire year on
Aleksander Barkov';s wing, he recorded 28 goals and 65 points in 74 games. For
those numbers, he is signed to a reasonable contract at $4 million per season
for the next two years, and at 29 years old, it certainly should not be his
last. While Dadonov could feasibly complete his NHL career with over 500 games
played and impressive scoring totals, he gets an asterisk as that has yet to
occur.19: 1999, GM Bryan MurrayNotable Selections: Denis Shvidki (Rd. 1, 12th
overall), Alex Auld (Rd. 2, 40th overall), Niklas Hagman (Rd. 3, 70th overall)

Right wing Denis Shvidki was never able to complete a full season in the NHL.
He was bounced around the AHL posting respectable numbers before leaving for
the Russian Elite League in 2004. His final NHL totals include 25 points in 76
games.

Alex Auld enjoyed a 10-year career as a serviceable backup goaltender. He was
part of Vancouver';s package back to Florida when they traded for Roberto
Luongo in June of 2006, though he only appeared in 27 games for the Panthers.
He played for eight different teams during his career, recording a .904 save
percentage in 237 games.

Finnish winger Niklas Hagman had a productive career with the versatility to
play in almost any situation. He eclipsed 20 goals three times during his
10-year NHL career and played for five different teams, totaling 770 games and
301 points. He played five more successful years between Finland';s SM-Liiga
and the KHL from 2012 to 2017.18: 1996, GM Bryan MurrayNotable Selections:
Marcus Nilson (Rd. 1, 20th overall), Oleg Kvasha (Rd. 3, 65th overall)

Nilson played in 521 games for the Panthers and Calgary Flames during his
career, scoring 67 goals and 101 assists. He did a lot of intangible things
effectively from the wing, which contributed to the amount of games he did
play. After a down year in 2007-08, he left for Europe where he played for
parts of eight more seasons.

Coincidentally, left wing Oleg Kvasha enjoyed a comparable career to Nilson';s.
 He played in 493 NHL games and scored 217 points. It was he and Mark Parrish
who were traded from the Panthers to the Islanders in 2000 in exchange for
franchise stars Luongo and Olli Jokinen. He completed his professional career
in his home country of Russia between 2006 and 2015.17: 2018, GM Dale
TallonNotable Selections: Grigori Denisenko (Rd. 1, 15th overall), Serron Noel
(Rd. 2, 34th overall), Logan Hutsko (Rd. 3, 89th overall)

The Panthers'; most recent draft is understandably hard to rank, as none of
their picks have yet to see a minute of NHL action. However, their first three
selections, especially Denisenko, come with significant expectations. In Corey
Pronman';s recent farm system rankings for The Athletic, he stated:

"His puck skills and vision are high-end. He controls the puck so well and is
always looking to make a play. He skates well... which leads to lots of
controlled zone entries." (from 'NHL farm system rankings: No. 9 Florida
Panthers';, The Athletic NHL- 8/21/18)

As the Panthers are loaded with forward prospects, Denisenko will have time to
develop in his home country of Russia over the next year or two. He posted 44
points in 59 games for his major junior team in Russia over the last two
seasons, and he is expected to make the jump to the KHL next year.

Serron Noel is a 6-foot-5 right winger from Ottawa who has spent the last two
years playing for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. He is a
strong skater and puck-handler, which is rare for a young player of his
stature. He logged 53 points in 62 games for Oshawa last season and was a
strong net-front presence on their power play. He too will need some time to
develop his game and fill out his frame, but he';s expected to become an
effective NHL forward.Serron Noel will return to the OHL this season after a
good training camp with the Panthers. (Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

Logan Hutsko is a unique story of skill and perseverance. He suffered two major
 injuries during his two years with USA Hockey';s National Team Development
Program. First, a career-threatening neck fracture while practicing faceoffs
during pregame warm-ups. The second was a knee injury after a hit against
Boston University. His name went uncalled in his first draft-eligible year.

Committed to Boston College, he decided to stick with hockey and ended up
leading the Eagles in scoring as a freshman. He gradually moved from the fourth
 line to the first, ending the season with 31 points in 37 games. If he can get
 stronger and stay healthy, the shifty winger has the puck skills to beat all
odds and succeed at the NHL level.16: 1998, GM Bryan MurrayNotable Selections:
Joe DiPenta (Rd. 3, 61st overall), Lance Ward (Rd. 3, 63rd overall), Jaroslav
Spacek (Rd. 5, 117th overall)

Defenseman Joe DiPenta played in 174 NHL contests in parts of four seasons
totaling 23 points. He also played in 32 postseason games and was part of
Anaheim';s 2007 Stanley Cup team. Most of his success came at the AHL level,
competing in 504 games over seven seasons.

In 209 games, defenseman Lance Ward managed to accrue just 16 points but 391
penalty minutes. Ward was not afraid to drop the gloves. Originally drafted by
New Jersey in 1996, he re-entered in 1998 when he could not come to a contract
agreement. He played two and a half seasons with the Panthers before being
traded to the Ducks in January, 2003.

The real value from this draft came in the form of Czech defenseman, Jaroslav
Spacek. He played the first three seasons of his 13 year career with the
Panthers. He totaled 880 games, 355 points, and 618 penalty minutes over seven
different teams.15: 2017, GM Dale TallonNotable Selections: Owen Tippett (Rd.
1, 10th overall), Aleksi Heponiemi (Rd. 2, 40th overall), Maxwell Gildon (Rd.
3, 66th overall), Sebastian Repo (Rd. 6, 184th overall)

Tippett, a sharp-shooting winger from Mississauga of the OHL, will be given
every opportunity to make the Panthers'; roster out of training camp next
month. Few rival his scoring touch. On a team of playmakers, his finishing
ability is just what the Panthers might need to get over the edge. He';s proven
 just about all he can in Mississauga, logging 75 points in each of his last
two seasons, and at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he has the size to play against
NHL men.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 147 pounds, Heponiemi was one of the most undersized
selections of his draft class. Last season, the center led his Swift Current
Broncos and the Western Hockey League in scoring with 118 points including 90
assists. As you might guess, his vision and playmaking abilities are elite. He
recently signed a two-year contract to return to his home of Finland to play
for Karpat of SM-Liiga where he';ll spend time bulking up and rounding out his
game.The Swift Current Broncos single season assist record was broken by Aleksi
 Heponiemi last season, and he was named CHL Sportsman of the Year. (Photo by
Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Gildon is a defenseman that has impressed at the Panthers past two development
camps. He skates very well for his size and is entering his second season at
the University of New Hampshire. Against college competition, his offensive
instincts and point shot stand out. While his path to the NHL may be a longer
one, keep an eye on Gildon to keep the internal defense competition
interesting.

Repo was a sleeper candidate to make the team out of training camp last season
and he had another strong development camp in South Florida this past June. He
is another part of the conglomerate of Finnish forwards the Panthers have
drafted over the last few seasons. In the past two years, he has recorded 58
points in 96 games for Tappara Tampere of Finland';s SM-Liiga, the same program
 from which Aleksander Barkov was drafted.14: 2006, GM Mike KeenanNotable
Selections: Michael Frolik (Rd. 1, 10th overall)

As the Panthers struggled to ever make the postseason, Frolik was another of
one Florida';s high first-round picks. He has earned himself the strong
reputation of a speedy third-line winger with exceptional penalty killing
abilities, the versatility to move up and down a lineup, and the reliability to
 stay healthy through the majority of his career. He has totaled 336 points in
728 NHL games thus far, and at just 30 years old, he should have at least a few
 more seasons of productivity left in the tank.13: 2012, GM Dale TallonNotable
Selections: Michael Matheson (Rd. 1, 23rd overall)

Matheson, a Canadian defenseman from Boston College is entering his third
season as a Panthers regular. Last year, he looked much more comfortable using
his speed to create offense and recorded 27 points. He skates just as well
backwards as he does forward. With just 165 games played, he could still
improve on his defensive decision-making and risk management. It cost the
Panthers some goals last season, but they are fixable flaws. Matheson is just
24 years old, and with some experience, he has the potential to surpass Aaron
Ekblad as Florida';s best defenseman.12: 2016, GM Tom RoweNotable Selections:
Henrik Borgstrom (Rd. 1, 23rd overall), Adam Mascherin (Rd. 2, 38th overall),
Riley Stillman (Rd. 4, 114th overall), Maxim Mamin (Rd. 6, 175th overall)

You might recognize the name Borgstrom from last year';s college hockey
highlight reel. He is perhaps the Panthers'; best prospect right now and on a
tear toward the NHL. His skill level is off the charts, and at 6-foot-3, he has
 all the tools of an impact center in today';s league. He qualified for
Finland';s national team at the World Junior Championship in 2017 and was named
 a Hobey Baker finalist for the NCAA';s MVP last season. In two seasons at the
University of Denver, he logged 95 points in 77 games. He comes with some
defensive concerns, but Borgstrom made his NHL debut last season and will be
given every opportunity to earn a regular, probably third-line center role with
 the Panthers this year.Henrik Borgstrom hopes to have a full-time role with
the Panthers this season. (Image courtesy of University of Denver)

Left wing Adam Mascherin has been a consistent points machine for the Kitchener
 Rangers of the OHL. He amassed 267 of them in 197 games over the last three
years. Unfortunately, he was unable to reach a contract agreement with Florida,
 and he reentered the draft this past summer. The Dallas Stars selected him
100th overall.

The NHL is nothing new to Riley Stillman';s household as his father Corey
played in over 1000 games during his career. 20 year old defenseman, Riley
hopes to make a name for himself entering his first professional season at the
AHL level. He has good size and performed very well at the Panthers';
development camp in June, but he';ll have plenty of time to develop and prove
himself with the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Maxim Mamin could be the hidden gem of this year';s draft. The Russian forward
split time last season between the Panthers and Thunderbirds. He';s large,
possesses excellent hockey sense, and is still early on in his development. In
a fierce internal competition for roster spots, many expect him back in
Florida';s bottom six for this season.11: 2004, GM Mike KeenanNotable
Selections: Rostislav Olesz (Rd. 1, 7th overall), David Booth (Rd. 2, 53rd
overall)

Though Olesz probably falls into the group of Florida';s disappointing top-10
picks, he still managed a respectable career. He was fast and fun to watch with
 the puck on his stick but never quite developed into the right winger the
Panthers could rely on. Plagued with an injury bug, he played 365 NHL games
over eight seasons and recorded 134 points. At 32 years old, he currently plays
 for Vitkovice HC of the Czech Extraliga.

David Booth was the Panthers'; prize of this draft. He showed more promise than
 fans could have hoped for upon entering the league in 2006-07. By his third
season, he was a 30-goal scorer. The following year, he suffered two
concussions from some ferocious hits from behind and missed the majority of the
 season.David Booth as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Tom
Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

He played in parts of six more seasons after that, but was never quite able
to regain his explosive speed or scoring touch. It was unfortunate to watch
such a young and exciting career go wrong, but he finished (barring a return to
 the NHL) with 236 points in 530 games.10: 2003, GM Rick DudleyNotable
Selections: Nathan Horton (Rd. 1, 3rd overall), Anthony Stewart (Rd. 1, 25th
overall), Kamil Kreps (Rd. 2, 38th overall), Tanner Glass (Rd. 9, 265th
overall)

At 33 years old, Horton';s career is all but over after suffering a back injury
 in 2014. He was a forward with a superstar scoring touch but never seemed to
maintain superstar effort. He was not one to back-check often, although he
enjoyed a successful NHL career. He recorded 421 points in 626 games and
eclipsed the 20-goal plateau with regularity. He was a 2011 Stanley Cup
champion with the Boston Bruins and remains fourth overall in Panthers all-time
 points.

Stewart was never able to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. As a
power forward, he struggled in his time with the Panthers and was shifted
between the AHL and back multiple times through his career. His NHL career
concluded with 71 points in 262 games and played across Europe from 2013 to
2016.

Czech center Kamil Kreps spent parts of four seasons with the Panthers before
spending the rest of his career in Europe. He was speedy, but never able to
breakthrough as much more than a role player, recording 60 points in 232 games.

Forward Tanner Glass does not score more than five goals per season, but he has
 enjoyed a long NHL career across six different teams as an enforcer. He
finished last year with Calgary';s AHL program, and has recorded 658 penalty
minutes in 527 games.9: 2014, GM Dale TallonNotable Selection: Aaron Ekblad
(Rd. 1, 1st overall)

2014 was the second time in the Panthers short history that they were awarded
the first overall pick. With it, they selected franchise defenseman Aaron
Ekblad. Though 22 years old, the 6-foot-4 man-child has the poise of a 15-year
NHL veteran. He has suffered a number of head injuries in his young career, but
 his skill is undeniable. When he';s on, he';s hard to stop. He utilizes his
wrist shot from the point in a way that few others do. He flutters the puck two
 to three feet off the ground so accurately that if it doesn';t get tipped, it
can still beat the goalie clean through traffic.



He is confident when joining the offensive rush, and he has the size to
separate the strongest of men from the puck. The Panthers heavily relied on him
 last year to play minutes in all situations and should hope for the same this
season. He is entering his fifth year in the league and has so far posted 134
points in 309 games.8: 2001, GM Chuck FletcherNotable Selections: Stephen Weiss
 (Rd. 1, 4th overall), Lukas Krajicek (Rd. 1, 24th overall), Ivan Majesky (Rd.
9, 267th overall)

Center Stephen Weiss played all but the final two seasons of his 13-year career
 with the Panthers. He was the face of the franchise during some of their worst
 years, as he was one of the few to record 40 or 50 points per season. He was
one constant amidst years of mediocrity and instability. He retains first place
 in franchise games played and second in franchise points. His career numbers
total to 423 points in 732 games.Stephen Weiss in the final year of his career
with the Detroit Red Wings. (Photo Credit: Andy Martin Jr)

Krajicek was a reliable defenseman for parts of seven years in the NHL,
totaling 328 games. He never quite transitioned into a faster, offensive
playing style, but he was strong down low and recorded 245 penalty minutes. He
currently plays for HC Oceláři Třinec in his home country of Czech
Republic.

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