The Panthers now have four of the top 48 picks in Friday’s draft.<\/p>\n
The panthers now have 2 first round picks, 2 2nd round picks, and the krakens future 2nd round pick. <\/p>\n
Have to think zito is gearing up for a big move \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bryan (@Metalpanthers) June 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Or perhaps the trade, which also netted a conditional second-round choice next season — from either Colorado or Winnipeg — is setting up for something more significant. <\/p>\n After all, the Panthers will be returning their veteran core next season, with Sasha Barkov looking spectacular this offseason after missing last season with a knee injury. They are trying to win now, not later, and that is the case even if they can’t come to an agreement with free agent goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Samoskevich, while skilled, didn’t necessarily fit the timeline, especially with restricted free agent status coming. <\/p>\n This creates more of a pick stash while also clearing some possible cap space. <\/p>\n So what could be brewing? <\/p>\n Could there be a run at Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings forward coming off a 33 goal season? Larkin has actually scored 194 goals in the past five seasons, and would immediately slot onto one of the Panthers’ top two lines. And there are reports that he would be comfortable playing for the Panthers.<\/p>\n Per @HeleneStJames<\/a>, Dylan Larkin would be willing to waive his Full NMC for these 3 teams. \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/by63HgmL7c<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 B\/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Or could Zito fill the goaltender hole with Connor Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets stalwart who is known to be disgruntled and believed to be available? He has a 2.58 career goals-against-average in 625 games — and at 33 years old, has more time left than Bobrovsky?<\/p>\n Either way, it’s hard to see Zito using all the picks and just stashing players in the system for some season way down the road. Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand are all ready to win again now for coach Paul Maurice, as the Panthers try to rebound from a disappointing year that followed two Stanley Cup titles. Injuries were the major reason, and now those players have been declared healthy.<\/p>\n Florida will be the center of the hockey universe this week again, not because the Panthers may be hoisting anything, but because they could be trading for plenty. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>