Panthers Are Draft Lottery Winners!
Jun 23, 2021 18:53:16 GMT -5
Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, and 4 more like this
Post by Florida Panthers on Jun 23, 2021 18:53:16 GMT -5
After what was by far the worst season for the Florida Panthers under GM Rensby-Wills, Panther fans finally had something to cheer for. It was no secret that this season was a throwaway for the Florida Panthers. If you took a look at their roster at the beginning of the season you knew they weren’t going to contend. As the season went on, more and more pieces were shipped out for futures and draft capital. In the end the Panthers found themselves at the bottom of the league standings with 61 points and a whopping -80 goal differential. But with this they also found themselves with the best odds at winning the draft lottery, something that is far from a guarantee. Luck was on their side as VHL Commissioner Scott Davidson announced on June 22 that the Florida Panthers were winners of the 2021 VHL Draft Lottery and owners of the 1st overall pick.
What does this mean for the Florida Panthers? There are a number of ways that this can go…
1. The Panthers keep the draft pick and take the consensus number 1 pick (Owen Power). The Panthers lack a prospect with true #1 D potential and drafting Power would solve that problem.
2. The Panthers keep the pick and go off the board, ever so slightly, and send shockwaves through the VHL. This might not be so crazy, this draft class has about 3 or 4 prospects who aren’t all that far off from Power in the eyes of some scouts.
3. The Panthers trade the draft pick and move back in the top 5, gaining other assets in the process. This seems somewhat unlikely as it’s known that many GM’s don’t value the 1st overall pick as much as they might in other draft years.
4. The Panthers trade the pick for a young roster player that can help their team sooner rather than later. Doing so would help kick the rebuild off quicker but would it be the right move?
We asked Rensby-Wills what his plan was for this draft pick and the answer was what we expected. Very vague.
“Nothing is set in stone yet, we’ve already received offers for the 1st overall pick. What I can tell you is if we move the pick, thats a big if, it’s not going to be cheap. There are a few options for us at the top of this draft that we really like, and for us to pass those up it’s going to take an unbelievable offer. We’re extremely excited to have won the lottery and are looking forward to draft day.”
Regardless of what happens, exciting times lie ahead for the Florida Panthers. Maybe drafting 1st overall will finally attract some fans!
Link To The Draft Lottery Video
