The advantage of holding a top-10 pick is that the Florida Panthers are guaranteed to get one of the best young hockey players on their organizational draft board. The disadvantage is trying to predict which of those young players will be available by the time the ninth overall pick is up for selection.

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is likely to feature several defensemen selected in the first 10 picks, but there are some names we can cross off the list of availability. Top blueline prospects Chase Reid and Carson Carels will assuredly have their name called by the time Bill Zito submits his pick. However, there will still be a glut of talented blueliners to entice the Panthers’ scouting department. Here is a look at five defensemen that could be drafted at ninth overall.

Daxon Rudolph (6-2.5, 205) • Prince Albert (WHL)
Unlikely to go in the top five picks, a selection of Rudolph at number six would receive no criticism. Coming off a 78-point regular season in the WHL that included 28 goals, Rudolph churned out 27 points in 19 playoff games. Boasting NHL size and a strong puck game, Rudolph is lauded for his hockey sense. He’s not a flashy skater or puck-handler, but his decision-making and offensive abilities shine. The scouting reports are complimentary of his defensive positioning and stick work, but mainly focus on his attributes in the offensive zone. His slap shot is NHL quality. Rudolph is exceptional at getting pucks to the net through traffic and he has high-end breakout passes. He projects as a top-4 defenseman at his peak with the ability to run a top power play unit. The Panthers will be undoubtedly attracted to his advanced feel for the mental side of the game and his puck decisions. Rudolph is heading to Denver to play NCAA hockey next year — a program Florida has worked well with to develop players in recent years.

Keaton Verhoeff (6-4, 215) • University of North Dakota
Arguably the most divisive defensive prospect in the top half of the draft, Verhoeff has seen his stock slip in the last year as blueliners like Reid and Carels passed him on many scouting charts. Verhoeff was in some conversations for the No. 1 overall pick just a year ago after putting up 45 points in 63 games for the Victoria Royals (WHL) as a 16-year-old. Last season, he played 36 games for North Dakota and registered 20 points — but did so at age 17 against much older competition. Verhoeff has plus size for the NHL level and already plays a physical brand of hockey. He has natural leadership qualities, and a top-end work ethic has been noted by scouts. A good stick and the ability to lay a hit have placated doubts about his defensive ability at the NCAA level, but there are holes to be poked in his skating and mobility. He’s not fast and doesn’t have an NHL-level burst. There are also concerns about his lateral mobility. If you want a Panther-friendly comparison, Aaron Ekblad might be a good one. Verhoeff looks to have plenty of talent to be an NHL regular and locker room leader, but it’s going to come with some criticism about his physical limitations. The Cats value mobility on the blue line, but have found time for guys like Verhoeff in the Zito era. If he slips to ninth, the organization will certainly be tempted.

Malte Gustafsson (6-4.5, 203) • HV71 (SHL)
Another defenseman that can split evaluators, Gustafsson is a rangy blueliner that towers over much of his age similar competition. Some evaluators position him as a top-10 selection while others push him further into the mid-teens. Florida might be an organization that values him as the former. Zito tends to gravitate towards young players that get professional experience in Europe and Gustafsson earned 27 games in the SHL with HV71 at age 17. If there is offense in his NHL future, expect it to come in the middle or latter stages of his career. Gustafsson moves the puck well enough and has some puck carrying qualities. He’s a better stickhandler than his scout suggests, but his shot and shot decisions need a lot of development. That said, what he does best is what Florida values most — gap control. Gustafsson is excellent at taking away an attacker’s space and knowing when to put pressure on at both the offensive and defensive blue line. All the scouting reports rave about his competitiveness — another hallmark of the Panthers defensive identity. He’s probably a slight reach at ninth overall, but there would be no question about Gustafsson’s organizational fit with the Cats.

Albert Smits (6-2.75, 209) • Jukurit (Liiga)
Maybe the most visible defenseman in the draft because of the spotlight of the Olympics, Smits is probably the least likely on this list to fall to nine. Another teenager that has played most of his hockey this season against men, Smits had 13 points in 38 games with Jukurit before going on loan to Munich in the DEL where he put up six points in 11 playoff games. Smits tantalizes with his puck skill for a blueliner his size. He’s not elite like a Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes, but his puck-handling is NHL-ready. He skates well in all directions. Scouts salivated over his poise and lack of hesitation playing against more experienced, sometimes elite level opponents in international competition. There is still some work to be done in his positioning and defensive game, but Smits is one of those players that checks all the boxes when you start projecting out his game five years from now. The Panthers likely have him rated much higher than ninth overall, so if he falls, expect him to be the pick.

Ryan Lin (5-11.25, 180) • Vancouver (WHL)
If Lin was 6-3, he would probably be a top-5 pick. Every scouting report raves about his hockey IQ and natural defensive tools. He’s a top-end skater with an NHL-caliber burst. Lin is the type of player that can make any play on the ice. He could skate the puck out of his own zone just as easily as snap a crisp 100-foot pass to spring a breakaway. He plays with pace and thinks the game at a high level. If you like smart and skilled defensemen, Lin is so satisfying to watch play the game. A Cats-friendly comparison would be Gustav Forsling — though Lin leans a little more offensive right now. He’s not without some bite too. Lin will play physical, though he isn’t a heavy hitter and there are no complaints about his competitiveness. As with smaller defenseman, the question for Lin is going to be whether he can maintain that physicality against some of the world’s best players over the course of a career. Every other part of his game is highly adaptable to the NHL.