Florida prioritized raw power and physical presence in Buffalo, bolstering their pipeline with a mobile 6-foot-8 goaltender and five heavy-hitting skaters built for the modern game.
After a quiet first night at the 2026 NHL Draft, day two was a bit more active for the Florida Panthers.
When the dust settled at KeyBank Center in Buffalo and every selection had been made, the Panthers had six young new prospects in their pipeline.
Here is a little info on each of Florida’s new players:
Round 2, 40th Overall: Forward Simas Ignatavicius
Florida started off the day by selecting forward Simas Ignatavicius with the 40th overall selection.
The 18-year-old Lithuanian was born in Memphis, TN and has been playing in Switzerland over the past several seasons while also taking time to represent his country at U18 and U20 tournaments.
He’s already been blessed with good size, measuring in at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, but has earned a reputation as an above-average skater with a strong shot and excellent hands.
Round 2, 48th Overall: Forward Ryder Cali
Florida used their second pick of the draft to select a player very similar to their pervious choice.
Cali is another big power forward who skates well and has a great head on his shoulders.
Already known for his excellent two-way play and skills around the net, Cali knows how to use his 6-foot-2, 187 lbs. size to his advantage thanks to a high hockey IQ he’s shown throughout his teen years.
Round 4, 98th overall: Defenseman Jonas Kemps
Kemps is a very large young man, measuring in at 6-foot-6 and weighing just under 200 lbs. The 18-year-old knows how to leverage his size and is considered mobile for a bigger guy.
He played in the USHL with Chicago last year, will play with WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in the upcoming season and has committed to Michigan State University, where he’s expected to attend in 2027.
Round 6, 168th overall: Forward Vilho Vanhatalo
Vanhatalo is another player with size, a 6-foot-4 winger who has played with Taparra in Finland, the hometown team of Sasha Barkov which he holds an ownership stake in.
After being selected, Vanhatalo said that while Barkov has always been his idol, he models his game more around Toronto Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies.
He’ll play next season back in Finland with Taparra.
Round 6, 181st overall: Forward Cole Zurawski
Zurawski enjoyed a breakout season with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, registering 24 goals and 46 points to boost his draft status.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 194 lbs., Zurawski is another big kid who can skate, clearly a trend among Florida’s selections. He’s expected to play collegiately for Notre Dame this season.
Round 7, 217th overall: Goaltender Louis-Antoine Denault
As they have done in each of the past few drafts, Florida used their final selection on a goaltender.
This year they picked up Denault, who is coming off a very strong season for both the Quebec Remparts and the Newfoundland Regiment of the QMJHL, the latter of which acquired the young netminder in December.
Denault is a massive young man, listed at 6-foot-8, 209 lbs., so it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop as he works toward turning pro.
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