Scott Wheeler, The Athletic's top prospect writer, released his rankings of the Top 145 NHL prospects ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season. Unfortunately for Florida Panthers fans, his article offers little to read, since none of the franchise's prospects made his rankings, which he broke down into five tiers, from MVP to support-level players. Because Zito has come in and mortgaged the future for back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, the Panthers are in a win-now window, and with a core with an average age around 30, there are still a few years of contention left. However, at some point, this wheeling and dealing could catch up with the franchise in less than 10 years.
Panthers' Latest Best Prospect is Already a Cornerstone
Arguably the best young player in Florida's lineup these days is Anton Lundell, drafted 12th overall in 2020. Over six seasons, he's a two-time Stanley Cup champion and recently won a World Championship with Aleksander Barkov, representing Finland.
During the offseason, the Panthers were linked to Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, and online rumors suggested the Jets wanted Lundell in a trade package. However, NHL insiders said that Zito and his team refuse to move the 24-year-old, who has a deep connection with captain Barkov. Ultimately, Florida sees him as the next face of the franchise, one who will still be with the Cats years after today's veterans are retired.
Florida Continues to Deal Away First Rounders
As mentioned, Lundell was the Panthers' first-round pick in 2020, and since then, the organization has made just one other first-round pick: in 2021, Mackieie Samoskevich, who played 63 games for the club before a June trade to the Seattle Kraken. Since his draft, Florida has dealt away their top picks in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029. Through free agency and trades, Zito has assembled a roster that could rival some of the greatest teams of all time and could go head-to-head with some of the best All-Star teams of all time.
Eventually, Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart will be over 35 and on the backside of their careers. Could they add a couple more Stanley Cup rings to their collection, of course, but last year the team tumbled down the standings when everyone got hurt, and the reinforcements who filled in the gaps were not at the same level. Ultimately, the Panthers are playing with fire, risking the present in the event of long-term injuries while mortgaging the future for another championship in an ultra-competitive league, with no game-breaking talent in the pipeline.
For the Panthers and their fans, this is nothing new. It's the result of chasing three consecutive Stanley Cup titles and winning two. Moreover, it's a narrative that won't escape the franchise until at least 2030, when they make their next first-round selection. Depending on where the organization is then, the pick might be a late-round selection anyway, which would be a testament to the team's success.
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