Meet the six players the Florida Panthers picked in the 2024 NHL Draft

The Florida Panthers did not have a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, but that doesn’t mean the Stanley Cup champions didn’t find a way to bolster the organization’s depth.

Florida still made six selections on Day 2 of the draft on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Here’s a quick look at the half-dozen of players the Panthers selected.

2 (58) center Linus Eriksson

After not initially having a pick in the first two rounds of the draft, the Panthers moved into the second round by trading their 2025 second-round pick and their 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 225) to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With that pick the Panthers selected Linus Eriksson, an 18-year-old Swedish center. He was a consensus top-75 prospect in the draft and ranked as the No. 10 international skater in the draft by the NHL’s Central Scouting final rankings. He was Sweden’s captain at the 2024 Under-18 World Championships, leading his country to a bronze medal in the tournament.

His scouting report, per Elite Propsects: “Eriksson knows what patterns to follow with his build. He’s got a high-end wall-game, punctuated by a knack for initiating contact to create separation on retrievals. He does a good job to not let opponents get underneath leverage.”

3 (97) defenseman Matvei Shuravin

The 18-year-old Russian defenseman didn’t play much this season due to an injury and a bout with chickenpox, but he has the size (6-4, 218 pounds) and defense-first skills to be an intriguing pick.

He was listed as the No. 15 international skater in the draft class by NHL’s Central Scouting rankings.

Elite Prospects’ scouting report of Shuravin notes that he “reads passing lanes well (defensively), can cut passes, takes pucks in movement at the line and distributes it.”

4 (129) center Simon Zether

The 18-year-old Swedish center played 42 regular-season games plus 15 playoff games this season for Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League after excelling for two-plus seasons playing in juniors (20 goals, 68 points, plus-28 in 74 games)..

Elite Prospects describes the 6-3, 176-pound Zether as a player who “excels in small-areas. With his imposing stature, he can knock opponents away, shield the puck, and control it on the wall. In the defensive zone, he rotates well, follows his check, and puts his stick in the right lanes, denying space and plays from the opposition.”

6 (169) center Stepan Gorbunov

The Panthers traded their fifth-round pick (No. 141 overall) to the Seattle Kraken for this pick and pick No. 201 overall in the seventh round.

With the first of two acquired picks, Florida selected 17-year-old Russian center Stepan Gorbunov, who already has a big frame (6-5, 196 pounds) to work with as he continues his development.

Gorbunov scored 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 40 games last season in juniors for Belye Medvedi in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

6 (193) forward Hunter St. Martin

St. Martin, a 17-year-old winger listed at 6-1 and 174 pounds, put up 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League last season.

7 (201) goaltender Denis Gabdrakhmanov

The Panthers close out their draft by selecting 19-year-old Russian goaltender Gabdrakhmanov, who had a 2.55 goals against average, .924 save percentage and one shutout in 40 games in Russia’s junior league last season.