The Florida Panthers have selected 269 players in the NHL Draft, including 80 European and 189 North American skaters. As of 2026, it goes without saying that the best player in franchise history is Aleksander Barkov, a Finnish-born center, who was the 2nd Overall Pick in the 2013 draft.
Surprisingly, of the 80 European prospects drafted by the Panthers, only 38 have gone on to play in the NHL. Today, we want to look at those prospects and rank them as the best drafted.
10. Filip Kuba - 192nd Overall (1995) Ostrava, Czechia
NHL Totals: 836 GP - 70 G - 263 A - 333 PTS
Florida Totals: 62 GP - 2 G - 15 A - 17 PTS
Filip Kuba played with four teams across 14 seasons, including two stints with the Panthers to bookend his career. Although he played defense, he was known for racking up assists and routinely collecting at least 20 points a year. His best campaign came with the Ottawa Senators in 2009, when he collected 40 points, including 37 assists. Surprisingly, Kuba had only three seasons with a positive plus/minus rating, finishing his career with a minus-56.
9. Jaroslav Spacek - 117th Overall (1998) Rokycany, Czechia
NHL Totals: 880 GP - 82 G - 273 A - 355 PTS
Florida Totals: 157 GP - 15 G - 39 A - 54 PTS
Jaroslave Spacek spent 13 seasons in the NHL, dressing for at least 30 games with seven franchises, including the Edmonton Oilers, where he played in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. As a journeyman defenseman, his best offensive seasons came in 2003 and 2009 when he recorded 45 points. Only twice in his career did Spacek score into double digits, once with Florida in 2000 and the other in a split campaign between Chicago and Edmonton in 2006.
8. Evgenii Dadonov - 71st Overall (2007) Chelyabinsk, Russia
NHL Totals: 641 GP - 164 G - 198 A - 362 PTS
Florida Totals: 280 GP - 91 G - 111 A - 202 PTS
The Panthers drafted Evgenii Dadonov in the second round of the 2007 NHL Draft, and he is one of the few players on this list who played in the league during the 2025-26 season. After a very slow start to his career with only ten goals in his first 55 games, he became a consistent 20-goal scorer, reaching 28 in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. After six seasons in Florida, Dadonov bounced around, appearing in games with seven clubs, including, most recently, the New Jersey Devils.
7. Michael Frolik - 10th Overall (2006) Kladno, Czechia
NHL Totals: 858 GP - 159 G - 225 A - 384 PTS
Florida Totals: 213 GP - 50 G - 67 A - 117 PTS
Michael Frolik played in the NHL for 13 seasons, skating for six different clubs, and winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. Although his stint with the Panthers was short, three seasons, he carved out a legacy with the Calgary Flames. As a two-time 20-goal scorer, Frolik reached double digits in all but four seasons.
6. Kristian Huselius - 47th Overall (1997) Österhaninge, Sweden
NHL Totals: 662 GP - 190 G - 261 A - 451 PTS
Florida Totals: 257 GP - 58 G - 69 A - 127 PTS
Kristian Huselius had a brief 10-year NHL career, becoming a one-time 30-goal scorer and netting at least 20 goals in seven seasons. After earning All-Rookie honors in his first year, he didn’t achieve any other awards while also playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames. However, Huselius is one of just a few European prospects drafted by the Panthers to reach 600 games in the league.
5. Anton Lundell - 12th Overall (2020)
NHL Totals: 359 GP - 78 G - 123 A - 201 PTS
Florida Totals: 359 GP - 78 G - 123 A - 201 PTS
Anton Lundell will turn 25 in October 2026, and in five seasons, he’s already a two-time Stanley Cup champion with 201 points. Although he has yet to reach 20 goals in a season, he averages 18 goals and 45 points per season. Considering Lundell is signed with the Panthers until the end of the 2030 season, there’s a chance he becomes one of the top European players in franchise history.
4. Jacob Markström - 31st Overall (2008) Gälve, Sweden
NHL Totals: 578 GP - 264-231-64 - 25 SO
Florida Totals: 43 GP - 38-11-25 - 5 SO
Jacob Markström is, without a doubt, the greatest European goalie drafted by the Panthers. After 16 seasons in the NHL, he is now the league’s second-winningest goalie from Sweden, only chasing Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist. Despite having good and bad stretches, Markström has won at least 20 games in the past nine seasons, achieving the feat with three different teams.
3. Radek Dvorak - 10th Overall (1995) Tabor, Czechia
NHL Totals: 1,260 GP - 227 G - 396 A - 590 PTS
Florida Totals: 613 GP - 113 G - 155 A - 268 PTS
Radek Dvorak played in the NHL for 18 seasons, dressing for eight different franchises, while spending the bulk of his time with the Panthers, nine years, split in two stints. Despite not winning any awards, Dvorak played with the Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final and returned with the Edmonton Oilers in 2006.
2. Dmitri Kulikov - 14th Overall (2009) Lipetsk, Russia
NHL Totals: 1,037 GP - 50 G - 197 A - 247 PTS
Florida Totals: 625 GP - 33 G - 138 A - 171 PTS
Dmitri Kulikov is one of only five Panthers draft picks ever to reach 1,000 games in the NHL. The veteran of 17 seasons won two Stanley Cups with Florida in 2024 and 2025, his second stint with the club that selected him 14th overall in 2009. Despite not being an offensive defenseman, Kulikov is a five-time 20-point scorer who reached double digits in 13 seasons and collected 1,626 hits.
1. Aleksander Barkov - 2nd Overall (2015) Tampere, Finland
NHL Totals: 804 GP - 286 G - 496 A - 782 PTS
Florida Totals: 804 GP - 286 G - 496 A - 782 PTS
When Barkov retires, he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer and will definitely have his No. 16 jersey raised to the rafters of Amerant Bank Arena. Without a doubt, he's the best player in franchise history with a resume including two Stanley Cup titles, three Frank Selke Trophies, plus a Lady Byng and King Clancy Trophy. Moreover, Barkov is on pace to become the Panthers' first player to skate in 1,000 games (804) and score 1,000 points (782).
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