'A little bit of everything': Panthers make seven picks at 2022 NHL Draft

MONTREAL - After not having a pick on Day 1, the Florida Panthers added seven players to their growing prospect pool on the second day of the 2022 NHL Draft at Bell Centre on Friday.
Starting the day with six picks at their disposal, the Panthers, who weren't on the clock until the 93rd pick in the third round, added one more selection when they picked up a second seventh-round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for their seventh-round selection in 2023.
Overall, Florida's 2022 class consisted of two defensemen, four forwards and one goaltender.

"We have a little bit of everything as we move forward," said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito, who was overseeing his third draft since joining the Cats. "The guys are pretty fired up. We didn't have the high picks, but we managed to get guys that were all very high on our list."
When asked about a common thread between all seven of this year's draftees, Zito said the organization takes both character and skill into account when it comes to evaluating talent.
"At the beginning we set out putting emphasis on I guess what we would call being a Panther," he said. "So character was obviously something we looked for, but generally it's best player available. That's been a theme that we established with the first draft when I got here, and it's carried through the whole time."
Needing to find late-round value, Zito also gave plenty of credit to his scouts after the draft.
"Kudos to our amateur staff in particular," he said. "Through Covid, travel restrictions, cancelled games, the video, all of the hurdles that were placed in front of them, they just worked diligently and kept their heads down and kept fighting through it. I'm really proud of them and impressed by them and humbled by them. They really did a yeoman's task and worked their tail off."
To see the fruits of that labor, continue reading below to learn more about this year's picks.

Marek Alscher (3rd round, 93rd overall)

Position:D
DOB:April 7, 2004 (Slany, Czechia)
Height:6'3''
Weight: 198 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2021-22 Team:Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
With their first pick of the draft, the Panthers added a big-bodied blueliner.
Standing 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds at just 18 years old, Alscher is known for his heavy hitting, gap control and knack for keeping the crease clear of danger - three things you'd except given his large frame and reach.

"You get a competitive defenseman," Zito said. "It's somebody that can hopefully continue to grow and become one of those reliable minute-crunching guys, a guy that can log big minutes and contribute night in, night out."
Taking his talents to North America after two seasons in Finland, the Czechia native was selected by Portland with the 26th overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. As a rookie this past season in the WHL, he registered 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 61 games.
Prior to joining Portland, he tallied one assist at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Ludvig Jansson (4th round, 125th overall)

Position:D
DOB:Dec. 27, 2003 (Stockholm, Sweden)
Height:6'0''
Weight:176 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2021-22 Team:Södertälje SK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
The first thing that stands out about Jansson is his speed and long skating stride.
Using his wheels to close gaps quickly and beat opponents to pucks all over the ice, the 18-year-old showcased his raw talent while producing five points (two goals, thee assists) in 47 games with Södertälje SK of the of Swedish second league this past season.
"A guy that tracks with elite skating," Zito said. "He's a puck-moving, playmaking guy."
Jansson said that his high-caliber skating is the result of simply a lot of hard work.
"Two or three years ago, I kind of saw the results from every hour of working hard on the ice," he said. "I see myself as a two-way defenseman, so [I want to work on] a better position game in the defensive zone and having a better gap control. It's small stuff, but it means a lot."
During his meetings with Florida, Jansson said he showed the team his "passion and heart."
"Great city, great team," he said. "It means everything to me. … I had two or three meetings and one mini combine [with the Panthers]. I kind of got that that feeling they'd shout my name out."

Sandis Vilmanis (5th round, 157th overall)

Position: LW
DOB: Jan. 23, 2004 (Riga, Latvia)
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 194 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2021-22 Team: Luleå HF J20 (J20 Nationell)
After bolstering their back end by nabbing a pair of defenseman with their first two picks, the Panthers added some scoring to their pool of prospects with the selection of Vilmanis.
Shifting from his native Latvia to Sweden in order to further his development, the 18-year-old forward saw a large spike in his numbers this past season. In 40 games with Luleå HF J20, he finished tied for first on the team in goals (18), first in plus/minus (+20) and third in points (32).
A proven producer in his own age group, Vilmanis also notched six points (three goals, three assists) over nine international games with Latvia. When the 2022 World Junior Championship gets underway in August, there's a chance he could be on the ice as Latvia is set to participate in the event.
At the 2018 U18 World Juniors, Vilmanis was tied for first in scoring on Latvia with four points.

Josh Davies (6th round, 186th overall)

Position: C
DOB:March 24, 2004 (Airdrie, Alberta)
Height:5'10''
Weight: 196 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2021-22 Team:Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Davies is another player that saw his stock rise this past season.
More than tripling the production from his rookie season in the WHL in 2021-22, the 18-year-old finished fourth on Swift Current with a career-high 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 64 games.
Successfully playing beyond his size, Davies is known for his next-level speed and willingness to get his nose dirty when needed - a notion evidenced by his team-high 119 penalty minutes.
Also lacing up his skates on the international stage, Davies was selected to play for Canada at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. In three tournament games, he recorded one assist.
Like most draftees he's considered a raw talent, but you can't teach his kind of speed.

Tyler Muszelik (6th round, 189th overall)

Position:G
DOB: July 1, 2004 (Long Valley, New Jersey)
Height:6'2''
Weight:194 lbs.
Catches: Left
2021-22 Team:USNTDP (USHL)
Is it really a draft if you don't take at least one goalie?
After discovering Devon Levi (212th overall, 2020) and Kirill Gerasimyuk (152nd overall, 2021) in the last two drafts, Florida's innovative Goaltending Excellence Department - which is headed by 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Roberto Luongo - set its sights on Muszelik in this year's draft.
Ranked 4th among North American netminders by NHL Central Scouting, the 18-year-old went 10-3-2 with a 3.17 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage for the USNTDP last season.
Over two seasons with the USNTDP, Muszelik has posted a 15-13-4 record. He also manned the net for USA at the 2022 U18 World Junior Championship and won both games he started.
Looking ahead, Muszelik is committed to play at New Hampshire in 2022-23.
"Lu and the boys, obviously we have a lot of faith in them," Zito said. "Tyler's a guy they'd set their sights on. They were pretty excited about him. We were really happy to be able to get him."

Liam Arnsby (7th round, 214th overall)

Position:C
DOB: Nov. 20, 2003 (Ajax, Ontario)
Height: 5'11''
Weight:183 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2021-22 Team: North Bay Battalion (OHL)
The Panthers made a trade with the Penguins in order to acquire another pick in the seventh round, so you just know someone was banging the table in his favor for a very good reason.
Formerly the 9th-overall pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, Arnsby returned to action this past season after having to sit on the sidelines in 2020-21 when the OHL cancelled its season due to COVID-19. In 46 games with North Bay, he set new career-highs in goals (9), assists (17) and points (26) while also showing off his exceptional leadership skills as the team's captain.
"I'm a leader," Arnsby said. "I'm a 200-foot player. I play with grit. I really like that. I put up some decent numbers, and I'm a good playmaker."
When asked about Arnsby, Zito said that you can never have enough players like him.
"High leadership, high compete, and high grit," he said. "That's something that we need to continue to get better at and continue to have throughout our lineup. I think someone at the table said he's 'a glue guy.' You can never have too much."

Jack Devine (7th round, 221st overall)

Position:RW
DOB:Oct. 2, 2003 (Glencoe, Illinois)
Height: 5'11''
Weight:176 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2021-22 Team:Denver (NCAA)
With the final pick of their draft, the Panthers added some championship pedigree.
Helping Denver capture its ninth NCAA title this past season, Devine showed off his playmaking skills by tallying 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 36 games with the Pioneers. The youngest player on the roster, he recorded an assist against Minnesota State in the championship game.
"It was awesome," Devine said. "I think it's an experience that I can take with me through the rest of my hockey career. It's one of those things where I can now take those experiences into pro hockey. I'm super excited. I can't wait for next year, especially with Mikey."

The "Mikey" he's referring to is none other than defenseman Mike Benning, who was drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round (95th overall) in 2020.
Looking to repeat at champions, both players will return to the Mile High City for their sophomore seasons with Denver in 2022-23.
"I think it all starts with this summer, just continuing to develop and getting stronger," Devine said. "I think the big thing for me is just to keep working on my skating.
"It's truly an honor [to be drafted by the Panthers]. It's an amazing organization. I'm super excited to get started."