The Florida Panthers owned the rights to two picks in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft. With the Cats taking a winger with the four picks before the final round, Bill Zito decided to go in a different direction with the 197th overall pick. The Panthers took a flyer on raw defensive prospect Brendan Dunphy. Dunphy is an American defenseman from San Diego, California.
Last season, he played in the WHL for the Wenatchee Wild, where he had a productive year. In 47 games, Dunphy scored four goals and added 18 assists for 22 points. He will play NCAA college hockey at the University of Connecticut starting next season. The Florida front office thought so highly of the kid that they traded next year's seventh-round pick to Chicago to select him.
Congrats to Ice Bus commit Brendan Dunphy on being drafted by the @FlaPanthers ❄️🏒🚌 https://t.co/vN8H5tkGAD
— UConn Men's Hockey (@UConnMHOC) June 28, 2025
The future Husky was mostly unknown before the Draft took place. He was only listed on big boards from two sources. He was listed as the 243rd-ranked prospect by McKeen's Hockey and as the 194th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. The first thing that stands out about Dunphy is his size. He is a behemoth of a man.
The Californian stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 207 pounds, according to Elite Prospects. He also has a long reach, which is effective as his stick always gets in the way of passing lanes. His reach is so long that it can single-handedly fend off rushes by the opposition and forces opponents to peel away.
The Florida Panthers have selected Brendan Dunphy at 197th overall. I ranked him #358.#TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/eiGEFwWBrQ
— Nick (@nickiacoban) June 28, 2025
Since he is so big, taking and fending off contact won't be an issue for Dunphy. He can also get the dirty work done and takes pride in being able to force his physicality onto opponents, and it doesn't necessarily have to come from a big hit. Brendan is good at pinning skaters to the glass, knocking them off the puck, and winning puck battles.
While there isn't much footage of Dunphy, fans can expect him to be a major factor for the UConn Huskies roster and a great addition to the Panthers' farm system. He'll continue to develop his game in the northeast beginning in the 2025-26 season. Dunphy is still only 19 years old, so there is still plenty of room for him to grow as a player. If he is to stay in college all four years, he'll come out at the young age of 22.