2025-26 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Florida Panthers’ Top 10

Jul 22, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 17, 2025, 15:33 EDT

2025-26 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Florida Panthers’ Top 10

Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year (Ivan Ivan, for example, spent more time in the NHL than AHL last year, making him ineligilble for this list). Players over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re breaking down the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers might have the worst pipeline in hockey – and they couldn’t be happier.

It takes some serious sacrifices to win consecutive Stanley Cups. GM Bill Zito knows that. In a pursuit to win big, he has shipped many young assets in recent years to bring in more immediate help. Moves like that will always result in a hard collapse, but that might still be many years away.

By all accounts, the Panthers should continue to leverage the farm as effectively as possible. The problem is, they don’t have much left to offer.

Mackie Samoskevich became a full-time NHLer last year, mostly playing a minor role. The team traded Justin Sourdif for a second-round pick a few weeks ago, giving him an opportunity to potentially get some playing time with the Washington Capitals

On the flip side, they finally signed Jack Devine, who proved to be one of the most accomplished forwards in the NCAA over the past decade. That’ll give the team a nice boost heading into this year, although he’s expected to spend most of the season in Charlotte.

There’s a very, very good chance none of the prospects on this list play any meaningful games with the big club in 2025-26. And that’s by design.

Biggest Strength

The Panthers have plenty of depth on the wings, mostly as potential fourth-liners. They have some players with some skill, and others who like to bash heads open. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gracyn Sawchyn, in particular, moves to the wing because he seems to thrive when he doesn’t need to do everything on the ice.

Biggest Weakness

There’s a very good chance not a single player here becomes a full-time NHLer. Devine is arguably the best option, but he’s not rounded enough for many scouts. I like Linus Eriksson, but his lack of offense doesn’t do him many favors. Beyond that, there isn’t much else to like. If you keep winning with the core you already have, that’s fine. But if the Panthers wanted to dip into the weeds to help bring in some actual NHL talent, they don’t have much to actually give up.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Bill Zito
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Shane Churla
Manager of Player Development: Mike Ryan
AHL Affiliate: Charlotte Checkers
ECHL Affiliate: Savannah Ghost Pirates

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Jack Devine (Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)*

1. Jack Devine, RW, 21 (Charlotte Checkers, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 221st overall, seventh round in 2022

Denver didn’t win another national title, but Devine was a significant contributor to the team’s success once again. He set a new personal best of 57 points, giving him a grand total of 163 points in 162 NCAA outings. Devine then capped the season off with a great showing with the Checkers. The 21-year-old has a good shot, but he’s more dangerous as a playmaker. Devine has been one of the NCAA’s most effective wingers the past few years and was a repeat Hobey Baker top 10 finalist after earning recognition in both 2024 and 2025. Devine is a speedy, energetic forward who just makes things happen. I’m excited to see how Devine’s game translates to the pro ranks.

2. Linus Eriksson, C, 18 (Djurgårdens IF)

Acquired: Drafted 58th overall, second round in 2024

Some scouts don’t love Eriksson’s game – and I get it. There isn’t much offensive potential there. But he’s a reliable 200-foot player who does an excellent job of making himself useful everywhere he goes. Eriksson is a smart forward who builds his game on speed and offensive awareness. He’s great with the puck, has excellent hockey IQ and can grind shifts out like a bottom-six player. I don’t think he’s got the scoring touch to play a bigger role in the NHL, but I could see him becoming a third-line player who can step up if needed. Some extra offensive pizazz wouldn’t hurt, though.

3. Gracyn Sawchyn, C, 20 (Charlotte Checkers, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 63rd overall, second round in 2023

*Gracyn Sawchyn (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

It was an excellent year for Sawchyn, who had 30 goals and 78 points as an assistant captain with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Sawchyn loves to chase after pucks, shoot from anywhere and drive to the net. Sawchyn loves making things happen with the puck, and he’s got plenty of skill to boot, too. I’d like to see him simplify his play with the disk under pressure, but I like that he’s willing to take risks. Some scouts think he’ll need to work on consistency and his decision-making under pressure to succeed in the AHL, but I’m interested to see what he’s capable of. He’ll be a solid playmaker one day, and I truly think there’s more to his game we haven’t seen fully realized at this point.

4. Matvei Shuravin, LHD, 19 (Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL)

Acquired: Drafted 97th overall, third round in 2023

At around 6-foot-3, Shuravin has the size scouts are looking for. It was nice to see him use that more often in the MHL this past year, and he was also much more engaged on the puck. He looked great against junior-aged players, but didn’t get back into the KHL this past year. Still, scouts like the mobile defender who isn’t afraid to rush the puck – something he really improved this year. I think he still needs to work on his decision-making and I want to see Shuravin face more difficult competition. But I think the Panthers like him as a more advanced defensive defenseman.

5. Shamar Moses, RW, 18 (North Bay Battalion, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 129th overall, fifth round in 2025

Moses has been one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects for a while. He hits like a truck, defends well and has an outstanding work ethic. He had a modest 48 points in 66 OHL games this year, but he played hard, worked hard and hit even harder. The North Bay Battalion forward is exactly the type of player you want causing havoc in your bottom six – he doesn’t want you anywhere near the puck. Moses might not have much high-end potential, but there are some obvious pro traits in his game. I could see him becoming a fourth-liner.

6. Sandis Vilmanis, LW, 21 (Charlotte Checkers, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 157th overall, fifth round in 2022

*Sandis Vilmanis (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Vilmanis had a solid first year of pro hockey, scoring nine goals and 27 points while averaging bottom-six minutes all year long. That’s not terrible – and I think he showed he could be quite dangerous in the playoffs. But it’s actually his hard-working demeanor that stands out to me the most. He plays like he’s fighting for his career every single shift. As a fifth-round pick, that makes sense, and I think that gives him a fighting chance at an NHL career at some point, mostly as a support player deep down in the lineup.

7. Arvid Drott, RW, 18 (Djurgardens, Sweden U-20)

Acquired: Drafted 192nd overall, sixth round in 2025

Drott is a power forward who brings a lot of speed to the table. He only had one assist at the season-ending U-18s, but I thought he did a good job of nudging guys off the puck along the boards and push guys away from the crease. He has shown flashes of skill and was productive in the Swedish U-18 league – and received good reviews from his limited U-20 action last year. I was a bit surprised to see Drott fall as far as he did but I still think he could be a decent bottom-line option for Florida. He plays a very Panthers-like game – crash and bang forever.

8. Marek Alscher, LHD, 21 (Charlotte Checkers, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 93rd overall, third round in 2022

Alscher was drafted partly for his big frame, standing tall at 6-foot-3. The Czech-born defender was never a point producer in the WHL, and he wasn’t in the AHL last year, either. Instead, he was known more for landing big hits and shutting skilled forwards down. He does a good job of forcing opponents to the perimeter, and he’s willing to block shots, too. Alscher’s lack of skills with the puck limits his potential, but he still has enough competence in his own zone to be considered for a No. 6/7 D-man role. He’s a longshot still, but another two years in the AHL could prove useful.

9. Kirill Gerasimyuk, G, 21 (Charlotte Checkers, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 152nd overall, fifth round in 2021

Gerasimyuk is set for his first year in North America after an excellent season in the second-tier Russian pro series. He never made it up to the KHL, but he put up some excellent numbers between SKA-Neva and Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. He was never going to get playing time with the primary SKA St. Petersburg team, but he’ll have an opportunity to be closer to the Panthers in Charlotte. He’s a calm, collected goaltender with a great glove hand and he’s very mobile, too. Gerasimyuk hasn’t played a ton of tough competition early in his career, so this will be a perfect opportunity for the 21-year-old to prove himself.

10. Simon Zether, C, 19 (Rogle, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 129th overall, fourth round in 2024

I liked Zether in his draft year, but injuries limited his playing time this year. He primarily played in the SHL last year but was sent down to the Allsvenskan to get more on-ice action. While he took a step backward, I still think there are some positives. Zether stands tall at 6-foot-3, growing a little bit over the past year while adding even more muscle. He’s a good play-reader, moves the puck well and is great in small-area situations. He’ll be back with Rogle for 2025-26 and, hopefully, he’ll get a more advanced role as a 20-year-old.

The rest: Ben Steeves, LW (23), Ryan McAllister, C (23), Josh Davies, LW (21), Hunter St. Martin, LW (20), Kai Schwindt, LW (21), Mads Kongsbak Klyvø, LW (18), Shea Busch, C (18), Stepan Gorbunov, C (18), Stepan Zvyagin, LW (21), Albert Wikman, LHD (20), Vladislav Lukashevich, LHD (22), Evan Nause, LHD (22), Ludvig Jansson, RHD (21), Mike Benning, RHD (23), Brendan Dunphy, LHD (19), Denis Gabdrakhmanov, G (20), Olof Glifford, G (20), Tyler Muszelik, G (21), Yegor Midlak, G (18), Cooper Black, G (24)

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