Florida Panthers: Top 10 Prospects Entering the 2018 Season

The Florida Panthers are a young team still building a contender. They’re hoping to make the playoffs again, and here are the 10 best prospects who can help them establish a postseason run.

The Florida Panthers came out of this past season a little worse for wear, but they’re building something. With a young core and veteran pieces that can be replaced by younger ones, the Panthers are hoping to build a playoff team. Luckily, they have several prospects who can make a difference.

The prospects below are ranked based on three factors. Ceiling, NHL readiness, and the likelihood they play with the Florida Panthers. Chief amongst these is ceiling, as that matters more with prospects and is the thing that can be forecasted most easily.

Let’s start with the goaltenders.

1. Samuel Montembeault [21] (3-77, 2015)

Stats (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL): 41 games played, 3.25 goals against average, .896 save percentage., 2 shutouts.

Samuel Montembeault had a truly bad season, though he was given the chance to start for an AHL team. It was one that didn’t make the playoffs despite some excellent scorers, so he might not have had the best defense in front of him.

Still, his save percentage leaves a lot of room to be desired, even if he is only 21. He was second to last amongst rookie goaltenders in the AHL in goals-against average and was third to last in save percentage (both amongst goalies with more than 20 games played).

This season, he also got two shutouts, which really proves he could have better numbers

What Montembeault has going for him, and what provides hope for a brighter future, is that he was good in his QMJHL years and the Florida Panthers saw enough in him to take him in the third round (high for a goaltender) just three years ago. This season, he also got two shutouts, which really proves he could have better numbers with more defensive help in front of him. That could arrive this season.

Montembeault’s ceiling is hard to determine because first, he must prove to be better than this season. If he doesn’t, he’s at most an NHL short-term backup. If he does, he could still become something. 21 is incredibly young for a goaltender, and it would be hard to blame Montembeault for not being in his prime at this age. Arguably the best rookie goaltender in the AHL this season was Oscar Dansk, who is two years older than Montembeault.

2. Evan Cowley [23] (4-92, 2013)

Stats (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL): 14 gp, 3.13 GAA, .901 SV%, 1 SO.

Stats (Manchester Monarchs, ECHL): 19 gp, 3.15 GAA, .902 SV%, 2 SO (4 playoff games played, 1.70 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO).

Cowley was better than Montembeault in the AHL and was perhaps the best goaltender to play games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this past season. Plus, at 23, he’s more ready for a starting role than somebody of Montembeault’s age. He was also a higher goaltender selection, and even in brief stints this season proved that he deserves a long-term job somewhere in the Florida Panthers’ system.

[Cowley] was perhaps the best goaltender to play games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this past season

Evan Cowley had a .901 save percentage in the AHL and had a shutout (half of what Montembeault accomplished) in just 14 games. In the ECHL, Cowley proved even more valuable, getting two shutouts in just 19 games and coming up with a .902 save percentage.

In the playoffs, Cowley did his best to drive the Manchester Monarchs past the first round but was unsuccessful. He posted a 1.70 GAA and .917 save percentage, the 12th best save percentage in the ECHL playoffs and the fourth best GAA. He also got a shutout in one of those four games.

Perhaps the problem with the goaltenders in the Florida Panthers’ pipeline isn’t the goaltenders themselves. Perhaps, with a better team in front of them, the goaltenders could be much better.

10. Serron Noel, RW [18] (2-34, 2018)

Stats (Oshawa Generals, OHL): 62 gp, 28 g, 25 a, 53 p, 5 PPG (6 A), 2 GWG, 105 SOG, .85 pts/g (5 pgp, 0 g, 1 a, 1 p, 9 SOG, .2 pts/g).

Serron Noel is one of the prospects drafted high because of the belief that he is better than he proved. Much like Barrett Hayton, taken fifth overall in the 2018 draft, Noel might be better given more of an offensive role next season with the Oshawa Generals. He scored just 11 power-play points but has the potential to do more. He was tied for 40th in goal scoring, despite missing ten games. And he has the prominence in front of the net to be crucial on the power play in the NHL.

Noel is a long-term project but could be one worth investing in

That’s likely why he was drafted incredibly high by the Florida Panthers. Noel is a long-term project but could be one worth investing in. He has all the makings of being an incredibly strong power forward in the NHL, but his game is incredibly raw. He’s still young, however, just recently turning 18, and he’s already done a lot. If he can continue to build like he has the past two seasons, there’s a lot to like about Noel.

He’s incredibly far away from the NHL, however, which is what has dropped him very far down this list. His ceiling is higher than most players ahead of him, including several of the prospects in the top five. But with him being a long-term project and that being known from the get-go, the chance he plays for the Florida Panthers is also lower than some other players on the list. Still, his ceiling prevents him from dropping off the list entirely.

9. Logan Hutsko, C [19] (3-89, 2018)

Stats (Boston College, NCAA): 37 gp, 12 g, 19 a, 31 p, 3 PPG, 2 GWG, .84 pts/g.

Logan Hutsko was one of the best Freshmen in the NCAA, although he was a year older than some of his competitors in that category. Hutsko missed extended time with an injury, so his hockey playing experience is about similar. He may have been drafted the year before this one, as a late-round pick, but was not taken. He could have been taken before pick 89 in this year’s draft as well, but the Florida Panthers may have lucked into a solid prospect in the third round.

Logan Hutsko was one of the best Freshmen in the NCAA

Hutsko was tied for 83rd in NCAA scoring but was sixth amongst Freshmen. He was also tied for 96th in points per game, although again, much of his competition has more experience in the NCAA. Hutsko was a key member of one of the best programs in the NCAA, and looked excellent as a playmaking center, even after years of injury. He needs to work on his shot and his goal production, lower than it perhaps should be, but he has time to do that. He could also work on his skating.

Hutsko won Rookie of the Year in the Hockey East (the conference Boston College belongs to). He was also on the All-Rookie Team and helped Boston College win the conference in the regular season. He looks to get more time next year in the NCAA, and if he proves successful again, developing where he should, he’ll make the transition to the AHL and begin his professional career. With Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov, the Florida Panthers may not need him to be anything more than a bottom-six center. It appears he can be that.

8. Patrick Bajkov, RW [20] (UDFA)

Stats (Everett Silvertips, WHL): 72 gp, 33 g, 67 a, 100 p, 11 PPG (29 A), 2 SHG, 5 GWG, 255 SOG, 1.39 pts/g (22 pgp, 14 g, 9 a, 23 p, 7 PPG (1 A), 1 SHG, 2 GWG, 72 SOG, 1.05 pts/g).

One of the best forwards in the WHL this past season, Patrick Bajkov has been ready for the professional transition for quite some time. Yet he was never drafted and signed on with the Florida Panthers as a free agent, despite the fact he has improved every year and is the franchise leader and perhaps greatest player produced by the Everett Silvertips.

He has improved every year and is the franchise leader and perhaps greatest player produced by the Everett Silvertips

Bajkov has been a key contributor to the Silvertips since he became a member, and that continued this season. He was tied for eighth in scoring in the WHL, was tied for 14th in points per game, 36th in goal scoring, and was fourth in assists. In the playoffs, as the Silvertips made a deep push, Bajkov was tied for 10th in scoring, fourth in goal scoring, and 28th in assists. He has the ability to make plays with his hands and shows brilliant hockey IQ, both of which could set him up for success at the professional level.

The problem with Bajkov is that he’s unlikely to be anything more than a third-line player. But as a key member of the Florida Panthers’ potential secondary scoring, that’s not such a bad thing. In a league where depth pays dividends, players like Bajkov are becoming more important. He’s got a solid chance of playing for the Florida Panthers, especially because he signed a three-year deal, but his NHL readiness could be there soon, and that’s what drives him up the list.

7. Jayce Hawryluk, RW [22] (2-32, 2014)

Stat (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL): 64 gp, 10 g, 26 a, 36 p, 2 PPG (9 A), 2 GWG, 105 SOG, .56 pts/g.

Jayce Hawryluk has been excellent for the past five seasons, since his draft season in 2013-14, when he had 64 points. The following year, he had one more point, but his games went down and his goals went from 24 to 30. He then had a 100+ point season before making the professional transition, scoring 26 points in 47 games. This past season, that number went to 36 in 64 games, but he played minutes in the ECHL as well.

He’s still got the potential to be a third line playmaker for the Florida Panthers

So while Hawryluk remains an intriguing prospect, each season his ceiling drops. He’s still got the potential to be a third line playmaker for the Florida Panthers, but every season they don’t bring him up to the NHL looks worse and worse for the young forward. Still, he’s one of the most NHL ready prospects out of anyone on this list and still stands a decent chance of playing for Florida.

Hawryluk was fine on the power play (11 points), came in somewhat handy (two game-winning goals) and continues to excel as a playmaker. But every season he becomes less exciting, and it’s coming to the make or break point. If Hawryluk doesn’t earn games in the NHL this season, he might fall off this list entirely.

6. Dryden Hunt, LW [22] (UDFA)

Stats (Florida Panthers, NHL): 11 gp, 0 g, 1 a, 1 p.

Stats (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL): 58 gp, 23 g, 23 a, 46 p, 5 PPG (7 A), 2 GWG, 166 SOG, .79 pts/g.

Proving quite well that he fits in at the professional level, to the point where the Florida Panthers have already given him games, Dryden Hunt is one of the best prospects on this list. In terms of NHL readiness and the likelihood that he plays with the Panthers, he’s on top. Hunt should play even more games this season, especially as one of the better players the Panthers had in the AHL last season.

In terms of NHL readiness and the likelihood that he plays with the Panthers, he’s on top

That being said, Hunt needs to prove more at the NHL level. One point in 11 games is not good enough for anything but a bottom-line role, and the Florida Panthers might need him to be more than that. Even as an undrafted free agent, Hunt has been impressive since his age-19 season, when he scored 83 points in the WHL (and should have been drafted). At six feet tall, it’s not like Hunt is held back by anything, either.

He’s on equal footing as both a goal scorer and playmaker and will need to get more playing time than the 10:34 he received from the Panthers to prove it. But as a young gun who didn’t get a ton of trust, Hunt did well, performing admirably with an even zone start rate. He has the potential to work his way up the Panthers’ lineup, but has a lot of competition to do so.

5. Max Gildon, D [19] (3-66, 2017)

Stats (University of New Hampshire, NCAA): 36 gp, 8 g, 15 a, 23 p, 5 PPG, 2 GWG, .64 pts/g.

Max Gildon was one of the better defensemen in the NCAA this past seaso, and was tied for 221st in scoring across the whole league. Gildon was tied for 41st amongst defensemen, even on one of the less talented teams in one of the better conferences. He played against top competition and still came out with a good amount of goals and points. That’s what the Panthers should want to see out of their very few defensive prospects.

With this positive season coming on the tail of a very good draft year and a great year before that, Gildon has continued to prove that he is an impressive prospect. He scored the most goals by a defenseman in the 2017 U18 World Junior Championship, and for his efforts helped win the Gold Medal and was on the All-Star team. He then transitioned positively to the USDP, and then to the NCAA.

This season, he has the ability to grow and build on last season. If he does so, he sets up an even brighter future for himself. Right now, Gildon looks like a bottom pairing defenseman. With more years in the NCAA and better seasons, that could change, with Gildon becoming a possible fourth defenseman for the future. Still, as of right now, he’s one of the Panthers’ best defensive prospects but not much more.

4. Aleksi Heponiemi, RW [19] (2-40, 2017)

Stats (Swift Current Broncos, WHL): 57 gp, 28 g, 90 a, 118 p, 14 PPG (37 A), 6 GWG, 141 SOG, 2.07 pts/g (26 pgp, 5 g, 25 a, 30 p, 1 PPG (16 A), 2 GWG, 48 SOG, 1.15 pts/g).

Aleksi Heponiemi is one of the greatest playmakers to go through the WHL ever. With 90 assists in 57 games, he’s one of the very few to accomplish that feat and the first since 1997 to hit 90 assists. Only one other player has ever done that, and while there was tight competition this season, Heponiemi blew them all away. That’s following a season where he was drafted in the top 50 because of his playmaking ability.

The question is, with other more natural goal scorers in the AHL and NHL, can Heponiemi make the professional transition with his skill set. He has always been a better assist man than a goal scorer, coming in first in assists, third in scoring, but tied for 51st in goal scoring this past season. In the playoffs, Heponiemi was fourth in scoring, first in assists, and tied for 27th in goal scoring. He needs to develop his shot, work on his shot production (2.47 shots per game in the regular season, 1.85 in the playoffs) and score more.

But as a terrific playmaker, there will be a place for Heponiemi. He has a top-six ceiling, looks more NHL ready than other players, and has done well on the power play. He has all the makings of an elite playmaker at the NHL level, but again, for him to make the NHL, he’ll need to score goals.

3. Grigori Denisenko, LW [18] (1-15, 2018)

Stats (Loko Yaroslavl, MHL): 31 gp, 9 g, 13 a, 22 p (12 pgp, 5 g, 2 a, 7 p).

Stats (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL): 4 pgp, 0 g, 0 a, 0 p.

Heralded as the next Johnny Gaudreau, Grigori Denisenko was taken much higher than Johnny Hockey. Like Gaudreau, Denisenko is a smaller (5’11”) playmaker with a great finishing touch and a solid shot. He has terrific skating ability and the hands to keep the puck on his stick whenever he gets it. He’s a great player in a smaller package, perfect for the modern game.

Denisenko came up big in the MHL, getting 22 points in 31 games and seven playoff points in 12 games. Even in a shortened season (he played 31 games, the MHL played 64), he looked impressive. That’s why he’s a top 15 pick. Denisenko also got four games in the KHL, in the playoffs no less. That’s a sign that his professional team trusted him enough to play him when it mattered most. For an 18-year-old, that’s a terrific sign.

Denisenko has top-six potential, though he’s still a few years away from making that impact. He’ll likely split the (hopefully healthier) next season between the KHL and MHL before making his way over to North American ice. He’ll get time with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL, and then, if he’s continued to progress, make his debut with the Florida Panthers. That’s a likely road ahead, and it’s why Denisenko is in the top three.

2. Henrik Borgstrom, C [21] (1-23, 2016)

Stats (University of Denver, NCAA): 40 gp, 23 g, 29 a, 52 p, 8 PPG, 1 SHG, 3 GWG.

Stats (Florida Panthers, NHL): 4 gp, 1 g, 0 a, 1 p.

Henrik Borgstrom was one of the greatest players in the NCAA this past season. He was tied for fourth in scoring, ninth in goal scoring, 16th in assists, and was seventh in points per game. Against stiff competition with the University of Denver, those are excellent numbers. Perhaps that’s why, immediately after the NCAA season ended, Borgstrom was brought up to the Florida Panthers.

He’ll likely play the next season with the Panthers, and he is certainly NHL ready. He’ll likely be the third-line center on the Panthers’ roster, and that’s about his ceiling. He’s a middle-six guy, who could be moved up to the second line eventually. Still, for being where he is at the young age of 21, Borgstrom is in an excellent position. He was good on the power play, he was good shorthanded, and he was good in clutch situations, scoring three game-winning goals.

Borgstrom brought home a truckload of awards. He was in the NCHC’s All-Tournament team, First All-Star team, and the NCAA West’s First All-American team. He was the NCHC’s Forward of the Year and Player of the Year and helped Denver win the conference. He was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist. That’s quite an impressive year and one that sets Borgstrom up quite nicely for the NHL.