Florida Panthers Selected These 6 Players in the 2024 NHL Draft
Less than one week removed from winning its first Stanley Cup, the Florida Panthers were focused on preparing for the future, selecting six prospects in the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft. Florida didn't have a pick in the first round of the draft, but general manager Bill Zito made a pair of trades on Day 2 to acquire two additional picks from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Seattle Kraken.
Here is a look at the Panthers' 2024 draft class, which consists of four forwards, one goaltender, and one defenseman.
Linus Eriksson
Florida moved up into the second round of the draft, acquiring the Maple Leafs' second-round pick, 58th overall, in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and seventh-round pick in 2024. The Panthers used the pick to select 6-foot, 190-pound Swedish center Linus Eriksson, who is described as an "aggressive forechecker" who possesses strong leadership skills. Eriksson had 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) in 29 games for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden's tier-2 professional league, and he also had 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists) in 25 games with its U20 affiliate.
Eriksson was also captain of Sweden's national team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and recorded seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in seven games, helping the team to win the bronze medal. Eriksson compares his playing style to that of Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and said he wasn't surprised that Florida drafted him based on their interest in pre-draft discussions.
Matvei Shuravin
The Panthers drafted 6-foot-2, 172-pound Russian defenseman Matvei Shuravin with its second pick, 97th overall in the third round. The left-shot blueliner coincidentally played hockey for the first time in the US in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, several days before the draft at the Gold Star Hockey 2024 Pre-Draft Showcase. He recorded two assists in 11 games this past season with CSKA Moskva in the KHL, the top league in Russia, but spent the majority of the season with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva in Russia's tier-2 MHL. He had seven assists in 22 MHL games.
While he tries to model his game after Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, Shuravin's offensive ceiling appears to be limited, but he is a strong skater who is good in his own zone. He is expected to play in Russia in 2024-25.
Simon Zether
Selected in the fourth round, 129th overall, by the Panthers, Simon Zether is an 18-year-old Swedish center with an imposing 6-foot-3, 187-pound frame. He played 18 games as captain of the Rögle BK U20 club in Sweden, recording 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists), but spent the majority of the year with the senior team. Zether didn't score a goal, but had four assists in 42 regular season games and also played in 15 playoff games.
"I felt like it's something I put in my backpack now," Zether said of the experience he gained last season. "We made the finals. I know what it takes to get there. Playing series—quarterfinals, semifinals—it's knowing what it takes for you outside of the rink as well, being a professional athlete and the expectations that are on you. I feel like that's something that I've got on other players, the experience."
Zether, who compares his game to that of Panthers center Kevin Stenlund, also wasn't surprised that Florida drafted him based on their discussions beforehand.
Stepan Gorbunov
Florida selected its second of three Russians in the draft, choosing 6-foot-5, 196-pound center Stepan Gorbunov in the sixth round, 169th overall. Gorbunov doesn't yet have the offensive flash of some of the other prospects that were still available in the draft, but with his size he could be a solid contributor for the Panthers in the future. He had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 40 games for Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk in the MHL in 2023-24. He also scored twice in 10 playoff contests.
Hunter St. Martin
The lone North American skater drafted by the Panthers, Hunter St. Martin is a 6-foot-2, 174-pound left winger from Edmonton, Canada. A skilled and speedy offensive forward, St. Martin recorded 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL in 2023-24, marking a major improvement in production from the prior season, in which he had 22 points (8 goals, 14 assists) in 61 games. St. Martin also had five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in five playoff games.
Denis Gabdrakhmanov
Florida continued its trend of selecting at least one goaltender in the draft, choosing 6-foot-3, 187-pound Russian netminder Denis Gabdrakhmanov with its last pick, 201st overall. Florida has taken a goalie in every draft since 2019, when former Panther and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Roberto Luongo launched its Goaltending Excellence Department. Gabdrakhmanov, 19, appeared in 40 games for Tyumenski Legion in Russia's MHL and recorded a 2.55 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. He is expected to play in the MHL next season.