FORT LAUDERDALE – On the clock.
After sending their first-round pick (9th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Ottawa Senators to help acquire forward Brady Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers will be adding to their list of prospects on Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
Currently, the Panthers own Round 2: 40th overall, Round 2: 48th overall (from WSH), Round 4: 98th overall (from CHI), Round 6: 168th overall, Round 6: 181st overall (from PHI), Round 7: 217th overall (from MIN).
During Friday’s NHL Draft Watch Party at Baptist Health IcePlex, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito spoke with the media on newly acquired players, provided injury updates, and more.
Continue below to see what Zito had to say on the first night of the draft.
“It's always fun when, especially in the summer, and the playoffs just ended, and now we get here, and we get to celebrate the game. There are people excited about our team, and I imagine about seeing each other. A lot of folks like when you go to the games and you see the people in the same section year after year. I got the sense that everybody was having a good time, and [are] just really appreciative for coming out and supporting us.” – On all of the fans coming to the draft party
“It's the same every year, where you get into a cycle of phone calls and ideas and sharing possibilities and what ifs. I can't remember in my tenure, and then going back to my time in Columbus, more or less, it's sort of this constant buzz of what ifs, and then not so much comes of it. Now this year, Brady (Tkachuk), and so that part you always have to be prepared, but when we talked during the season about all those meetings and the pro meetings and the amateur meetings, that's really what we're preparing for, and then once we prepare, we're staying up to date on that body of information. – On the last few days around the NHL
“I really think he's going to fit in a number of different ways in our group, foremost as a person, as we always talk about. We did our homework there, he's got speed, he's got energy, he can kill penalties, he plays with certain physicality and enthusiasm that I think he'll fit right into our crew, and he does have the ability to play up and down the lineup too. It's exciting.” – On Garnet Hathaway
“The staff is pretty excited for these guys. They work all year long and they're committed. They travel all over the world, all kinds of weather and all kinds of small rinks, and [I] really want to thank the amateur staff for the work they do. That enables us to do a lot of what we do, and then they uncover guys like (Sandis) Vilmanis in the late rounds, and that's tremendous value to our organization. It's always fun on a day when you know you're picking.” – On finding success in the late rounds of the draft
"It's really fun, and Paul (Maurice) said the same thing to me. You feel that energy in the air. I hope the fans felt the same way about it that we did, because it's very nice." – On the hockey buzz in South Florida
“I think everybody who was injured is on schedule with the recovery. Some folks, I think, are completely recovered, other people still are in some type of therapy. I don't think any of it is really significant. Emotionally, you can just tell, like the refresh and the excitement to get back at it. Any number of players are on a daily basis, working out in the gym, so that's exciting to see. I think the players are enjoying the break, but with that goal in mind, and I do think there's a lot of excitement to get back at it.” – On injured players recovering
