Florida made six selections at the NHL Draft, including a trade to move into the second round

The Florida Panthers kept busy on day two of the NHL Draft.

After an uneventful first round with no selections to make or trades completed, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito and his staff made the most of their time in the Las Vegas Sphere on Saturday.

The fun for Florida started about 45 minutes into day two when Zito traded a 2025 second-round pick and the 225th overall selection in this year’s draft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 58th overall pick.

Florida, suddenly on the clock, quickly selected Swedish center Linus Eriksson, clearly who they were targeting when they pulled the trigger on the deal with the Leafs.

“You’re sitting and you’re checking and you’re looking, and you’re going ‘Well we had him here,’” Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said. “When we thought perhaps he might be there, we thought it was worthwhile. It’s good for us because we need to restock the cupboard, and if we mortgage next year just to get it in a little earlier, it might help us out.”

Known as a skilled, physical leader, Eriksson will play next season with Djurgardens in HockeyAllsvenskan.

“It’s a really good fit,” Eriksson said. “They’re the best team in the league right now. It’s going to be really fun to be there and see everything and meet all the guys.”

In the third round, the Cats snagged Russian defenseman Matvei Shuravin who has played in the Red Army program.

He played 11 games in the KHL last season as a 17-year-old and despite dealing with a couple of injuries.

Now, Shuravin is primed for what could be a big season for Krasnaya in the MHL and potentially another promotion to the big club, CSKA, in the KHL.

“It was a great experience,” Shauravin said of playing in the KHL. “I thought it was a bad year for me because I had two injuries, but I think next year is going to be great. I think I need to improve my offensive skills as a two-way defenseman.”

With their fourth-round pick, the 129th overall selection, Florida picked up large two-way Swedish center Simon Zether.

The 18-year-old played 42 games in the SHL last season and, like his fellow draftees, fits the Panthers mold to a T, comparing himself to Panthers forward Kevin Stenlund.

“It’s a winning culture,” Zether said of the Panthers. “I feel like they have built a team and an organization that’s a top team in the NHL, so I’m super happy to be a part of it.”

Florida picked up another player with size when they selected 17-year-old Russian forward Stepan Gorbunov.

Clocking in a 6-foot-5, 196 lbs., Gorbunov played with Chelyabinsk of the MHL last season, logging 10 goals and 22 points in 40 outings.

The only non-European that Florida selected in the draft was 19-year-old Canadian forward Hunter St. Martin with overall pick No. 193.

He’s played in the WHL in each of the past three seasons, jumping from eight goals and 22 points in 61 games with Medicine Hat in 2022-23 to an impressive 24 goals and 52 points in 68 games with the Tigers last year.

The Panthers concluded their draft by selecting Russian goaltender Denis Gabdrakhmanov with pick No. 201.

He’s got size at 6-foot-3, 187 lbs. and just turned 19 last week.

Gabdrakhmanov played with Legion in the MHL during the past two seasons, earning a 2.55 goals against average and .924 save percentage in 40 appearances last year. 

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