The 2026 NHL Draft will take place on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, NY. After failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs and not advancing to the Final for the first time in four seasons, the Florida Panthers actually have a higher pick, selecting 9th overall.
At the moment, they have one first-round pick, unlike the upcoming 2027 and 2028 drafts, which have already been traded away.
OFFICIAL: The Florida Panthers finish eighth last in the NHL. They are guaranteed a top-10 pick in the 2026 Draft and will not have to forfeit the pick to the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago will get Florida’s unprotected first in 2027 (Jones trade), Boston gets the 2028 first…
— Alex Baumgartner (@ABaumgartner91) April 17, 2026
Heading into the draft, general manager Dale Tallon will have a chance to add seven prospects to the pipeline, currently holding picks in each round except the third. Today, we will look at the moves the Panthers have made over the past few seasons to shuffle their draft picks in 2026.
Two Second Round Picks
After making their first pick at No. 9, Florida will make their next selection in the second round at No. 40. Then, they will pick again at No. 48, thanks to a trade with the Washington Capitals on June 26, 2025.
The Panthers traded Justin Sourdif to the Capitals in exchange for this pick plus a sixth-round pick in the 2027 Draft.
Zero Third Round Picks
Despite having two selections in the second round, the Panthers won’t have much to do until the fourth round at No. 98. Back in March 2024, the Ottawa Senators acquired Florida’s third-round pick in the Vladimir Tarasenko trade.
The initial deal included a 2025 third-round pick, but if the Panthers won the Cup in 2024, which they did, the pick would end up being from the 2026 draft. Now Ottawa will pick at No. 72.
Fourth Round Swaps
When Florida acquired Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks on Mar. 1, 2025, the deal also included a fourth-round pick, which is now No. 98 overall. Meanwhile, going the other way to Chicago was goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick, which got pushed back to 2027.
Originally, the Panthers held the No. 104 overall pick, but after picking up an extra one from the Blackhawks, they traded one of them to the San Jose Sharks on Mar. 6, 2025, in the Nico Sturm deal, which also included a seventh-round pick next year.
Remaining Picks
The Panthers will make their next pick at No. 136 in the fifth round, then again at No. 168 in the sixth. Their final selection in the 2026 NHL Draft will take place at No. 217 in the seventh round.
Overall, Florida will make seven selections in this year’s draft, barring any trades. This year marks the first time since 2022 that the franchise will have more than six selections, as trades and championships have eroded its draft capital. For the past two years, the Panthers have only made 12 picks, six each year, while making five in the 2023 Draft.
Add us as a preferred source on Google