The 2026 NHL draft scouting combine is underway in Buffalo, where 80 of this year’s top prospects will undergo medical and physical tests and speak with GMs and media members from around the league.
The Florida Panthers own the ninth overall pick in the draft, and while their NHL roster features few holes, their prospect pool has been thinned by trades for stars like Seth Jones, Brad Marchand, and others.
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The Panthers haven’t made a first-round selection since 2021, when they selected Mackie Samoskevich with the 24th overall pick.
At the combine, these players complete medical tests, participate in competitions, and speak to the media; teams are taking players out to dinner to better get to know the players they could be selecting.
On Saturday, prospects Viggo Bjorck and Daxon Rudolph confirmed that the Florida Panthers had invited and taken them out for dinner.
Bjorck is a highly skilled, undersized center hailing from Sweden. He has dominated junior hockey in Sweden and internationally, while also performing at a high level in the SHL, arguably the second strongest hockey league in the world.
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Bjorck measured at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. Bjorck has the skill of a top-five pick, but his frame has scared teams away.
Florida Panthers 2026 NHL Draft Targets: Alberts Smits
Florida Panthers 2026 NHL Draft Targets: Alberts Smits The Florida Panthers will make the ninth selection in the 2026 NHL draft, and for the next month before the June 26 draft, we are going to look at which players the Panthers could target. Today’s player preview is about defenseman Alberts Smits.
As for Rudolph, he is a 6-foot-3, right-handed defenseman who posted a phenomenal offensive season with the WHL. Rudolph’s stats and defensive game are among the best in the draft, but his skating speed has held him back. His size and skill would instantly make him the top prospect in the Panthers pool.
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The Panthers are likely looking at far more players than just Bjorck and Rudolph, but if either of those players is available at pick No. 9, the Panthers can feel confident that they are selecting the best player available.
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