At the 2015 NHL Draft, the Florida Panthers held the 11th overall pick and selected two-time OHL 20-goal scorer Lawson Crouse. The Mount Brydges, Ontario native was only 18 at the time, but soon built an impressive resume on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the U18 World Juniors and earning gold medals at the U20 World Juniors and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
With one summer of the draft, the Panthers dealt Crouse to the Arizona Coyotes, along with David Bolland, in exchange for a third-round pick in 2017 (Maxwell Gildon) and a second-round pick in 2018 (Serron Noel).
Revisiting the Panthers and Coyotes trade involving Crouse and Bolland
By the time of the trade on August 25, 2016, Crouse had only played two games of professional hockey, dressing for two games with the Portland Pirates in 2015-16. As soon as the ink dried on the trade papers, he was in the Coyotes camp and found a spot in that season’s lineup, scoring five goals and 12 points in 72 games.
Despite being an NHL regular at the start of his career, Crouse played only 11 games with Arizona in 2017-18, while spending more time in the AHL developing his game, scoring 15 goals and 32 points in 56 AHL contests. After that brief detour, he’s been in the NHL ever since, becoming a four-time 20-goal scorer in 2021-22 while earning an “A” on his sweater in 2022-23. That same year, he won a World Championship with Canada at the 2023 tournament, serving as an alternate captain.
When the Coyotes played their last game in Arizona in 2024, Crouse was part of the team’s leadership group, a role he transitioned to Utah when the franchise became the Mammoth in 2024-25. Through 666 games, he’s collected 139 goals, 120 assists, and 259 points.
By the time Bolland came to Florida in 2014, he was a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 and 2013. After seven seasons in the Windy City, he skated one year with the Toronto Maple Leafs before signing as a free agent. In 78 games with the Panthers, he scored seven goals and 28 points, the last points he’d score in the NHL as he retired due to back injuries.
Panthers miss on draft picks acquired in Crouse trade
The Panthers received two picks in exchange for Crouse and Bolland, using their third-round pick in the 2017 Draft on Max Gildon, who came up through the US National Team Development Program. After the draft, he attended the University of New Hampshire for three seasons, eventually making his AHL debut in 2020-21 and skating in 101 games over three seasons before moving to Europe to play in the DEL, ICEHL, and Slovak leagues. At 27, the native of Houston, TX, will play with Krefeld Pinguine in 2026-27.
With a second-round pick at the 2018 Draft, the Panthers selected Serron Noel 34th overall. The Ottawa native played four seasons in the OHL, scoring a personal-best 34 goals and 81 points in 2018-19. Two years after getting drafted, Noel made his AHL debut in 2020-21, skating 72 games over two seasons before moving down to the ECHL to play with three clubs over three seasons, last playing professionally in 2024-25.
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