Success in the draft is a vital part of team';s on-ice success in the NHL.
Hitting on early draft picks means establishing a core that can lead to
long-term contention while finding late round gems brings unexpected production
 and is what makes championship teams. The teams with the most success in
recent seasons highlights the need to win on the draft floor.

The Washington Capitals had first rounders Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom,
and Evgeny Kuznetsov, among others, plus Chandler Stephenson, Christian Djoos,
and Braden Holtby, all drafted in the third round or later. The Pittsburgh
Penguins had Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Olli Maatta from the first round
 and Kris Letang and Matt Murray as later round selections. Finally, Jonathan
Toews, Patrick Kane, and Brent Seabrook were taken by the Chicago Blackhawks in
 the first round and Niklas Hjalmarsson was found in the fourth round.

The point is that while there are different ways to build a winner, the best
path is through the draft and it is the path followed by the Florida Panthers,
a team on the cusp of Stanley Cup contention. Of the expected 23-man roster for
 the Panthers this season, 12 were originally drafted by the franchise. Of the
seven other teams in the Atlantic Division, that';s a smaller number than only
the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings, each with 13 drafted players on
their rosters.Florida Panthers'; Draft History

Since 2006, Florida';s general managers have done a nice job finding talent in
the first round. Nick Bjugstad (2010), Jonathan Huberdeau (2011), Mike Matheson
 (2012), Aleksander Barkov (2013), Aaron Ekblad (2014), and Henrik Borgstrom
(2016) were all first round selections. Current GM Dale Tallon was at the helm
for all but Borgstrom, who was drafted by Tom Rowe.Panthers'; general manager
Dale Tallon has been at the helm for some of the club';s best draft picks in
recent years, including Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. (Photo by Francois
Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images)

Their success in the draft goes beyond the first round with Alex Petrovic
(2010) and Ian McCoshen (2013) taken in the second round, Evgeni Dadonov (2007)
 and Vincent Trocheck (2011) in the third, Maxim Malgin (2015) in the fourth,
and MacKenzie Weegar (2013) going in the seventh.

Yet the Panthers have also had their fair share of draft failures. Jayce
Hawryluk (2014), Rasmus Bengtsson (2011), and Joe Basaraba (2010) were all
taken in the first three rounds but didn';t or have yet to reach the NHL. Those
 failures impacted the team';s ability to compete and it shows with just two
postseason appearances in the past 10 years.

This article is my attempt to look at the draft picks the Panthers missed on
and the players they passed on that would have helped them be more competitive.
 I looked at 10 years, beginning with the 2006 Draft and ending in 2015. I
chose 2015 as the end point because any later and there hasn';t been enough
time to fully determine whether or not a prospect will become a productive NHL
player.

My definition of a player the Panthers passed on is if he was taken within 10
picks of their actual selection. For example, if the Panthers drafted a player
with the 33rd pick, any player picked through the 43rd pick would be someone
they passed on with that selection.Related: Power Ranking Every Florida
Panthers Entry Draft2007 - Keaton Ellerby Over Kevin Shattenkirk

The Panthers drafted defenseman Keaton Ellerby with the 10th pick in 2007.
Considering he was viewed as the fourth-best skater and top defenseman in North
 America by the NHL';s Central Scouting Bureau, he slid to the Panthers.
Ellerby played junior hockey for the WHL';s Kamloops Blazers and scored two
goals and 25 points in 69 games his draft year. He returned to the WHL the
following season and was in the AHL in 2008-09 before he made his NHL debut in
Jan. 2010.Keaton Ellerby was considered a top prospect in the 2007 Draft and
the Panthers used the 10th pick on him.  (Michael Miller / Wikipedia)

He played in 125 games over four years with the Panthers and scored two goals
and 17 points before they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings in Feb. 2013.
After the 2012-13 season, he played parts of two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets
 and has been in Europe since 2015-16. His NHL career ended with 212 games
played, four goals, 27 points, including two on the man advantage.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche drafted fellow defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk
14th overall. He ranked as the 34th-best skater and 12th-best defenseman in
North America after he played for the United States National Development
Program (USNDP). In his draft year, he posted 13 goals and 40 points in 57
games. Afterwards, he played three years of college hockey at Boston
University, with whom he scored 18 goals and 78 points in 121 games and helped
the Terriers capture the 2009 NCAA Championship.

He debuted for the Avalanche in Nov. 2010 and Colorado traded him to the St.
Louis Blues in Feb. 2011. Shattenkirk played five full seasons with the Blues
before they dealt him to the Capitals at the 2017 Trade Deadline. Last
offseason, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent. So far, in 536
regular season games, he has 73 goals, 321 points, 158 power play points, and
has averaged at least three minutes of power play time per game in four of
eight seasons.The Avalanche drafted Kevin Shattenkirk four picks after the
Panthers took Keaton Ellerby. Shattenkirk has developed into one of the game';s
 best power play threats while Ellerby is out of the league. (T Sanford/THW)

Meanwhile, the Panthers haven';t had a player net more than 23 power play goals
 and no defenseman has more than 18 since 2010-11. By total points,
Shattenkirk';s 321 are 146 more than the most scored by a Panthers defenseman
the past eight seasons. Drafting Ellerby over Shattenkirk set the Panthers back
 as they continued searching for that franchise defenseman until they drafted
Aaron Ekblad in 2014.Other Players the Panthers Passed On With the 10th Overall
 Pick

Ryan McDonagh - Drafted 12th overall by the Montreal CanadiensLars Eller -
Drafted 13th overall by the Blues

2007 - Michael Repik Over P.K. Subban

With the 40th pick in the 2007 Draft, the Panthers took Czech winger Michal
Repik, the 58th-ranked North American skater as he played junior hockey with
the WHL';s Vancouver Giants. He helped the Giants capture the 2007 Memorial Cup
 with 24 goals and 55 points in 56 games his draft year.

He returned to the Giants the next season before debuting with the Panthers in
Dec. 2008. He spent the next four seasons jumping between the AHL and NHL
before returning to the Czech Republic for the 2012-13 season and has been in
Europe since. His NHL career ended with 72 games played, nine goals, and 20
points.

P.K. Subban was ranked the 32nd-best defenseman and 102nd-best skater in North
America and the Canadiens drafted him 43rd overall, three picks after Repik. He
 played for the OHL';s Belleville Bulls, with 56 points in 68 games his draft
year, and played two more junior seasons plus one AHL season before he became a
 full-time NHL player during the 2010-11 season.The Canadiens drafted P.K.
Subban three spots behind Michal Repik in the 2007 Entry Draft. Repik has been
out of the league since 2012 while Subban is a perennial Norris Trophy
candidate. (Photo: Andy Martin Jr)

He was a Canadien for six seasons and won the 2013 Norris Trophy before
Montreal traded him to the Nashville Predators during the 2016 offseason. Thus
far, Subban has 89 goals and 377 points, including 168 on the power play, in
582 games, and helped the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. In
addition to his Norris Trophy, he is a three-time Norris Trophy finalist, a
three-time All-Star, and won an Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2014.

Subban is considered one of the league';s best defensemen as he plays on both
special teams units and receives tougher zone starts than most top pair
blueliners. His 375 points since the 2010-11 season are fifth-most in the
league among defensemen while his 43 power play goals are third-most and 25
more than any Panthers'; defensemen in that span.2008 - Colby Robak Over Derek
Stepan

The Panthers drafted blueliner Colby Robak with the 46th pick in the 2008 Entry
 Draft. He played for the WHL';s Brandon Wheat Kings, with whom he had six
goals and 30 points in 71 games his draft year and helped Team Canada win gold
at the U-18 World Junior Championships that year. He played two more years in
the WHL, followed up by a season in the AHL, and made his NHL debut in Feb.
2012.Colby Robak, shown here as a member of the San Antonio Rampage, the
Panthers'; AHL affiliate, spent five seasons in the Panthers'; system.

His Panthers tenure ended with zero goals and three points in 42 games before
they traded him to the Anaheim Ducks in Dec. 2014. He finished the 2014-15
season by playing five games with the Ducks and has been in the AHL since. Most
 recently, he spent the 2017-18 season in the Calgary Flames'; system.

With the 51st pick, the Rangers drafted center Derek Stepan out of Shattuck St.
 Mary';s, the high school attended by Sidney Crosby, where Stepan had 44 goals
and 111 points in 60 games his draft year. Afterwards, he played two years at
the University of Wisconsin with 21 goals and 87 points in 81 games. He debuted
 with the Rangers in Oct. 2010 and spent seven seasons with them before they
traded him to the Arizona Coyotes in June 2017.The Rangers drafted Derek Stepan
 (21) five spots after the Panthers took Colby Robak in 2008. The 2018-19
season will be Stepan';s ninth in the NHL while Robak 47 NHL games in his
career. (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

For his career, Stepan has 142 goals and 416 points in 597 games, has averaged
at least one minute of shorthanded time per game the past seven seasons and at
least two minutes of power play time per game every year. His 360 points with
the Rangers between 2010-11 and 2016-17 led the team by 98 points and would
have led the Panthers by 162 in the same time frame.Other Players the Panthers
Passed On With the 46th Pick

Travis Hamonic - Drafted 53rd by the New York Islanders

2009 - Josh Birkholz Over Reilly Smith

With the 67th pick of the 2009 Draft, the Panthers took winger Josh Birkholz
from the USHL';s Fargo Force. He was the 42nd-ranked North American skater and
scored 21 goals and 36 points in 55 games with Fargo that season. After the
draft, he attended the University of Minnesota for one season and, afterwards,
played two seasons with the WHL';s Everett Silvertips. Then, during the 2012-13
 season, he split time between the AHL';s San Antonio Rampage and the ECHL';s
Cincinnati Cyclones and was with the Cyclones the entire 2013-14 season before
he retired from professional hockey.

Two picks after Birkholz, the Dallas Stars drafted winger Reilly Smith with the
 69th selection. He was ranked 158th among North American skaters as the Stars
took a chance on him out of the Ontario Junior Hockey League where he played
for the St. Michael';s Buzzers and posted 27 goals and 75 points in 49 games.
He followed that up with three years at the University of Miami (OH) and
totaled 121 games, 66 goals, and 122 points with the RedHawks and made his
Stars debut at the end of the 2011-12 season.The Panthers passed on Reilly
Smith in the third round of the 2009 Draft, only to acquire him six years
later. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

He became a regular the following season and Dallas dealt him to the Boston
Bruins in July 2013 was traded again in July 2015, this time to the Panthers.
He was a Panther for two seasons, totaling 40 goals and 87 points in 162 games
with them before they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of the 2017
Expansion Draft. In his career, Smith has 98 goals and 247 points in 432 games
and was better than a point-per-game player in the 2018 Playoffs.

In a somewhat comedic turn of events, the Panthers passed on Smith, a player
who has developed into a top-six forward, only to acquire him six years later.
They also signed him to his current five-year, $25 million contract, one they
became dissatisfied with almost immediately, which led to his exodus out of
Florida. Given that the Panthers lacked offense last season and acquired Mike
Hoffman, a player similar to Smith, this offseason to address the need, keeping
 Smith the entire time would have been beneficial.2010 - Erik Gudbranson Over
Jeff Skinner

Erik Gudbranson isn';t a complete bust as he';s been a top-four defenseman with
 the Vancouver Canucks the past two seasons, but considering the talent that
surrounded him in the 2010 Draft, the Panthers made a mistake when they used
the third overall pick on him. Gudbranson was considered the top defenseman and
 fourth-best skater among North American prospects in 2010 after he produced 23
 points in 41 games for the OHL';s Kingston Frontenacs his draft year.The
Panthers drafted Erik Gudbranson (left) third overall but he never developed
the way they expected him to. Instead, Florida traded him to the Canucks in
2016. (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)

He returned to the OHL the next season and made his Panther debut in Oct. 2011.
 He was with Florida for five seasons and accumulated 11 goals and 43 points in
 309 games but missed at least six games every season. They traded him to the
Canucks in May 2016 and, as a Panther, his 309 games from 2011-12 through
2015-16 were the third-most among Panthers'; defensemen in that span, while his
 11 goals ranked fifth, and his minus-49 was last.

Surrounding Gudbranson in the top of the first round were players who';ve
become All-Stars and consistent producers, with the best being Jeff Skinner,
whom the Carolina Hurricanes took with the seventh pick. With the Kitchener
Rangers, also of the OHL, Skinner was viewed as the 34th-best North American
skater after he had 50 goals and 90 points in 64 games in 2009-10. He
immediately debuted with the Hurricanes and netted 31 goals and 63 points as a
rookie. He won the 2011 Calder Trophy at season';s end.Jeff Skinner was ranked
the 34th-best North American skater in the 2010 Draft but the Hurricanes took
him with the seventh pick. His career proves they were right about him with 204
 goals, second-most in the draft class, and 379 points, third-most.(Hammersmith
 Studios- Greg Thompson)

In eight seasons, all with Carolina, he has played 579 games and scored 204
goals and 379 points. He has three 30-goal seasons and two seasons above 60
points. The Panthers as a team have two 30-goal seasons and no one with
multiple 60-point seasons since 2010-11. Additionally, Skinner';s 204 goals
would pace the Panthers by 104 and in points by 112 had they drafted him.Other
Players the Panthers Passed On With the Third Overall Pick

Ryan Johansen - Drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue JacketsMikael
Granlund - Drafted ninth overall by the Minnesota WildCam Fowler - Drafted 12th
 overall by the Ducks

2010 - Quinton Howden Over Evgeny Kuznetsov

Although only drafted eight years ago, forward Quinton Howden is out of the
league and has been in the KHL the past two seasons. The Panthers used the 25th
 overall pick on him after he was ranked as the 19th-best North American
skater. With the WHL';s Moose Jaw Warriors, he was a point-per-game player his
draft year and played two more seasons with them before debuting with the
Panthers in Jan. 2013.

He went between the AHL and NHL through the 2015-16 season and totaled 92
games, 10 goals, and 17 points with the Panthers. After that season, he became
a free agent and was signed by the Jets, with whom he played five games and
accumulated no points. However, since he';s left the NHL, he represented Team
Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics, winning bronze.

Capitals'; center Evgeny Kuznetsov took some time to develop into a top-tier
NHL player, but his career has been much more productive than Howden';s,
despite being picked one slot after Howden. Kuznetsov was ranked as the
third-best European skater behind Granlund and Vladimir Tarasenko. Prior to the
 draft, he played in the MHL and KHL in Russia with six goals and 24 points in
44 games his draft year. He spent four more seasons in the KHL before making
the jump to the NHL during the 2013-14 season.Eight years before he helped the
Capitals win the 2018 Stanley Cup, the Panthers had the chance to draft Evgeni
Kuznetsov but passed on him for Quinton Howden. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

Since then, he';s played in 340 games with the Capitals and scored 80 goals and
 265 points, plus 12 goals and 32 points in 24 games during the 2018 Playoffs
and played a big role in helping Washington capture its first Stanley Cup.
During the postseason, he emerged as a top line player, centering a line
between Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.Other Players the Panthers Passed On With the
25th Overall Pick

Charlie Coyle - Drafted 28th overall by the San Jose Sharks

2010 - John McFarland Over Justin Faulk

Taken with the 33rd pick of the 2010 Draft, winger John McFarland only has
three NHL games to his name. He was viewed as the 15th-best North American
skater and played his junior hockey with the OHL';s Sudbury Wolves and scored
20 goals and 50 points in 64 games his draft year.

He stayed in the OHL two more seasons and was in the ECHL and AHL from 2012-13
through 2014-15 and made his NHL debut in Feb. 2016. He played the next two
seasons in Europe and is currently in the Edmonton Oilers'; system.

The Hurricanes drafted defenseman Justin Faulk with the 37th pick after he
ranked as the 20th-best defenseman and 56th-best skater among North Americans.
Prior to the draft, he played for the USDP with 60 games, 21 goals, and 33
points in his draft year. Afterwards, he played one season at the University of
 Minnesota-Duluth, won the 2011 NCAA Championship, and made his NHL debut in
Oct. 2011.Justin Faulk has been a top-four defenseman for the Hurricanes since
they drafted him with the 37th pick in 2010. The Panthers had the chance to
draft him but went with John McFarland instead. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

He has been with Carolina for seven seasons and has 74 goals and 223 points in
477 games so far and has averaged 23:25 of ice time per game and has led the
team in ice time in four of seven seasons. Faulk has played 101 more games,
over 1,700 more minutes, and attempted 421 more shots than any of Florida';s
defensemen since 2011-12.2010 - Connor Brickley Over Jason Zucker

Connor Brickley is still a professional hockey player and will be in the
Predators'; system this season, but his career hasn';t panned out the way the
Panthers envisioned it would when they drafted him with the 50th pick in the
2010 Draft. Brickley, a winger, was rated the 50th-best North American skater
ahead of the draft. He played for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL and had
 22 goals and 43 points in 52 games and helped the United States win gold at
the U-18 World Juniors Championships his draft year.The Panthers drafted Connor
 Brickley 50th overall in the 2010 Entry Draft but he';s accumulated just 67
NHL games. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

He followed that up with four years at the University of Vermont where he
totaled 21 goals and 48 points in 117 games and made his NHL debut in Oct.
2015. He has since gone between the AHL and NHL, was traded to the Hurricanes
in 2016, was selected by Vegas in the Expansion Draft, and was signed by the
Panthers in 2017. In total, he has played in 67 NHL games in his career and has
 accumulated five goals and 17 points.

Brickley and Jason Zucker have taken similar paths throughout their playing
careers but with different results. Like Brickley, Zucker is an American
winger, won the 2010 U-18 World Junior Championship, and played college hockey,
 but at the University of Denver, and only for two seasons. The Wild drafted
Zucker with the 59th pick after he was ranked as the 51st-best North American
skater.Instead of picking Connor Brickley, the Panthers should have drafted
Jason Zucker, who was taken by the Wild nine picks later. (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA
 TODAY Sports)

He played for the USNDP with 29 goals and 53 points in 60 games his draft year.
 At the University of Denver, he totaled 45 goals and 91 points in 78 games. He
 debuted with the Wild in March 2012 and in seven years with Minnesota, he';s
played in 330 games, netted 97 goals, and totaled 172 points. Additionally, his
 goal and point totals have increased the past two seasons and he signed a
five-year, $27.5 million contract this offseason.Other Players the Panthers
Passed On With the 50th Pick

Calle Jarnkrok - Drafted 51st by the Detroit Red Wings

2011 - Rocco Grimaldi Over John Gibson

Forward Rocco Grimaldi was another Panthers'; draft pick who played junior
hockey for the USNDP with 81 games, 51 goals, and 98 points his draft year.
That production led to his 32nd rank among North American skaters and, as a
result, the Panthers drafted him with the 33rd pick. He played three years of
college hockey at the University of North Dakota and scored 31 goals and 76
points in 86 games with them.

He debuted in Nov. 2014 and has gone between the AHL and NHL since. The
Panthers traded him to the Avalanche in June 2016 and the Predators signed him
this offseason. With the Panthers, Grimaldi saw action in 27 games and scored
four goals alongside two assists.Rocco Grimaldi was in the Panthers'; system
for two years before they traded him to the Avalanche. He is currently in the
Predators'; system. (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

John Gibson was rated as the top North American goaltender for the 2011 Draft.
He played for the USNDP and appeared in 57 games with a 2.47 goals against
average (GAA) and .924 save percentage (SV%) his draft year. After the Ducks
used the 39th pick on him, he played two OHL seasons with the Kitchener Rangers
 and appeared in 59 games with a 2.58 GAA and .928 SV%. He reached the NHL
during the 2013-14 season and went between the AHL and NHL through the 2015-16
season before he became the Ducks'; starter during the 2016-17 season.

In 171 career starts, Gibson has a 93-55-20 record, 16 shutouts, a 2.29 GAA,
.923 SV%, and 34.9 goalie point shares. He won a Jennings Trophy after the
2015-16 season for his role in helping the Ducks allow the fewest goals in the
league. On Aug. 4, 2018, the Ducks signed him to an eight-year extension with a
 $6.4 million cap hit that goes into effect next season.John Gibson is a
perennial Vezina Trophy candidate for the Ducks, who picked him 39th overall in
 the 2011 Draft, six spots after the Panthers took Rocco Grimaldi. (Amy Irvin /
 The Hockey Writers)

Gibson';s 90 wins from 2014-15, his first season as an NHL regular, through
2017-18 would have been second-most among Panthers'; netminders during the
span, only behind Roberto Luongo';s 98. Gibson would look great on Florida';s
roster considering they are searching for their goaltender of the future as
Luongo approaches retirement.Other Players the Panthers Passed On With the 33rd
 Pick

Boone Jenner - Drafted 37th by the Blue JacketsBrandon Saad - Drafted 49th by
the Blackhawks

2012 - Steven Hodges Over Frederik Andersen

The third round of the 2012 Draft was highlighted by several future stars,
including Shayne Gostisbehere, Colton Parayko, and Matt Murray. Steven Hodges,
who the Panthers drafted with the 84th pick, was not among them. Hodges, a
center, was rated as the 85th-best North American skater and played his junior
hockey for the WHL';s Victoria Royals. In his draft year, he scored 21 goals
and 46 points in 72 games and played two more seasons with the Royals before
turning pro.

He played his first AHL game during the 2014-15 season and went between that
league and the ECHL through the 2016-17 season, his last season in the
Panthers'; system. He was out of hockey last season and is expected to play for
 the University of British Columbia this season. He has yet to reach the NHL
and never scored more than one goal in an AHL season.

--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)