Panthers add six ‘hard players’ at 2025 NHL Draft

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers have a type.

As the current toast of the NHL, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions know what system they need to play, and also know the type of players they need to play within it.

After not having a first-round pick – a small price to pay for a pair of Cups – they entered Day 2 of the decentralized 2025 NHL Draft in search of players with signs of Panther in their DNA.

Starting with five picks at their disposal, the Panthers added one more when they sent their seventh-round selection in 2026 to the Chicago Blackhawks for another seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, which ended up being the 197^th overall pick.

In the end, they selected four forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender.

Off the bat, all six look like they have the edge needed to survive in South Florida.

“There’s kind of a theme with some of these guys,” Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said of this year’s draft class. “Getting hard players and hopefully having them prepared for Coach Maurice when they get here.”

With that, continue below for a rundown of all six selections.

Mads Kongsbak Klyvø (4th round, 112th overall)

Position: LW

DOB: May 3, 2007 (Frederikshavn, Denmark)

Height: 6’2’’

Weight: 194 lbs.

Shoots: Left

2024-25 Team: Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)

With their first pick of the draft, the Panthers went with a powerful winger.

Nearly 200 pounds at just 18 years old, Klyvø has impressive size for his age is already considered a very strong forechecker, which fits with Florida’s signature style.

Spending the majority of last season with Frölunda HC in Sweden’s J20 Nationell, Klyvø ranked seventh on the team in both goals (14) and points (29).

Going off in the playoffs, he tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in six games.

“He’s kind of an underrated skilled scoring touch guy who plays hard,” Zito said. “He’s got a lot of compete and a lot of speed. He’ll be an interesting guy.”

Appearing in both the U18 and U20 D1A IIHF World Junior Championships, Klyvø helped Denmark earn promotions in both age groups. At the U18 tournament, he was one of Denmark’s top players, notching four goals and five assists in five games.

In 2025-26, he’ll try to earn playing time with Frölunda HC’s pro team in the SHL.

Fun fact: Klyvø is the first player from Denmark ever drafted by Florida.

Shea Busch (4th round, 128th overall)

Position: F

DOB: June 12, 2007 (North Vancouver, BC)

Height: 6’2’’

Weight: 207 lbs.

Shoots: Left

2024-25 Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL), Vernon Vipers (BCHL)

Busch saw his career take off after a change of scenery.

After scoring 12 goals in 22 games with Vernon in the BCHL, the 18-year-old forward went on to accumulate 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 39 games in the WHL after signing a contract with Everett in December.

Showing improvement every time that he took the ice following the move, Busch really elevated his game in the WHL Playoffs, finishing tied for fifth on the Silvertips in scoring with 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 13 games.

“Good size,” Zito said. “Plays in the hard areas.”

After notching five points (four goals, one assist) over three playoff games in the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the Seattle Thunderbirds, Busch was named the WHL’s Rookie of the Week for the week ending March 31.

Transitioning to the NCAA, Busch is committed to play at Penn State in 2025-26.

Shamar Moses (5th round, 129th overall)

Position: RW

DOB: May 6, 2007 (Scarborough, ON)

Height: 6’1’’

Weight: 203 lbs.

Shoots: Right

2024-25 Team: North Bay Battalion (OHL), Barrie Colts (OHL)

Traded just a few games into last season, Moses broke out after being dealt to North Bay.

Lacing up his skates in just his second season in the OHL, the 18-year-old finished third on the Battalion in scoring with 48 points (12 goals, 36 assists) in 61 games.

In five playoff games, he dished out three assists.

“Another big, right-shot winger,” Zito said.

A consistent producer on offense with a high hockey IQ, Moses made a dent on the scoresheet in 16 of 21 games after making his debut with North Bay on Oct. 11.

Over those 21 games, he also produced eight multi-point efforts.

An explosive shooter, Moses could potentially see a sharp increase in his goal total in 2025-26.

Arvid Drott (6th round, 192nd overall)

Position: RW

DOB: Aug. 11, 2007 (Stockholm, Sweden)

Height: 6’0’’

Weight: 187 lbs.

Shoots: Right

2024-25 Team: Djurgårdens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

A quick skater, Drott showed off his scoring touch in Sweden last season.

Suiting up for a loaded squad with Djurgårdens IF J20, the 17-year-old forward ranked fourth on the team in goals (18) and seventh in points (36).

In the playoffs, he added six points (three goals, three assists) in nine games.

“A fast, hard-working winger,” Zito said.

Effective off the rush, Drott has the speed to burn defenders overseas, but also profiles as the type of player that can develop his physicality to find success in the NHL.

On the international stage, he appeared in seven games with Sweden at the 2025 U18 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Not turning 18 until August, Drott is expected to spend much of next season with Djurgårdens IF J20 again, but with the hope of eventually getting a taste of the SHL.

Brendan Dunphy (6th round, 197th overall)

Position: D

DOB: Feb. 2, 2006 (San Diego, California)

Height: 6’5’’

Weight: 198 lbs.

Shoots: Left

2024-25 Team: Langley Rivermen (BCHL), Wenatchee Wild (WHL)

The Panthers thought so highly of Dunphy that they sent their seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Blackhawks in exchange for the pick that they ended up using to select him.

The first thing that stands out?

His size, of course.

Standing 6-foot-5, Dunphy, who went undrafted last year, is known for his ability to win battles and knock opponents off the puck. He also uses his long reach to defend well off the rush and clog passing lanes.

“A giant defenseman,” Zito said. “A long-term guy who’s building his two-way game.”

After moving from the BCHL to the WHL in November, Dunphy – despite starting the season in a different league – went on to finish third among Wild defensemen in scoring with 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 47 games.

Committed to UConn for the 2025-26 campaign, he’ll continue to develop in the NCAA.

Yegor Midlak (7th round, 222th overall)

Position: G

DOB: March 20, 2007 (Tver, Russia)

Height: 6’6’’

Weight: 176 lbs.

Shoots: Left

2024-25 Team: Spartak Moskva U18 (Russia U18), MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)

It wouldn’t be a draft without the Goaltending Excellence Department making a pick.

Adding another goaltender to their pipeline with their final pick of the draft, the Panthers once again turned their attention to Russia to add a towering presence in Midlak.

Standing 6-foot-6, he’s now the third Russian netminder in Florida’s system.

In addition to making 10 appearances in Russia’s U18 league, Midlak manned the crease for four games in the country’s second-best league, the MHL. Going 1-0-1, he had a 1.06 goals-against average and .941 save percentage with MHK Spartak Moskva.

For Midlak and Florida’s other Russian goaltender prospects, there’s no better player to try and emulate than fellow Russian and current Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

"I think Bob (Bobrovsky) is going to be very helpful for some of the young guys,” Zito said. “That’s literally your idol. If you were a quarterback and played for the Dolphins, it’d be like, ‘There’s Dan Marino. Oh my God!’ I think it’s helpful. We’ve been very fortunate.”