Florida Panthers select Simon Zether No. 129 overall in 2024 NHL Draft
On Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers took Simon Zether in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft, No. 129 overall.
With the 129th overall pick in the #NHLDraft, the #FlaPanthers select center Simon Zether.
Big guy at 6'3'' and 187 pounds.
Zether spent the 2023-24 season season with Rögle in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) where he tallied four assists in 42 games. Prior to his call-up, Rögle captained his J20 team and was a leading scorer in Sweden’s top junior league. He had 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in 18 games, among J20 skaters who appeared in a minimum 10 games, Zether ranked second in points per game.
One big knack for Zether is his foot speed and skating. He is a smart player, who is able to track the puck and react quickly but his feet work faster than his mind. Zether is a sound playmaker who is creative and shifty under pressure.
Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis, rated Zether No. 72 overall.
“Zether caught my eye as a late 2005-born player last year, especially internationally. He’s got significant SHL experience, and he didn’t lack confidence against the tougher competition. Zether stands at 6-foot-2 and seems to play bigger than his size. He’s a good play-reader, moves the puck well and is great in small-area situations. I wish we saw more offense out of him in the SHL, given he had just four assists in 42 games, but he’s an intimidating presence who can definitely shoot the puck. Next year will be big for him.”
Zether joins Linus Eriksson and Matvei Shuravin as the Panthers 2024 draft picks so far. Florida is slated to pick next in the fifth round, pick No. 141.