After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16, and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the Florida Panthers. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
The Florida system gets one of its worst rankings in many years due in most part to graduations and not having a top-five pick. But some of the Panthers' top prospects haven't developed as well as hoped, which also dings them.
Rocco Grimaldi was pretty good but not outstanding as a rookie pro. I still think he's got a lot of upside, but he's shown reason to hedge against him more than I have before. His skating, skill and shot are all plus, and he works his tail off. I thought he'd be a tad more dominant offensively, but his size (he's 5-foot-6) has certainly been an issue as a pro in terms of limiting his offense somewhat.
Jayce Hawryluk has been very impressive during the past two seasons. He's not elite offensively in terms of his boxcar stats, but he certainly shows high-end flashes of skill, creativity and vision. Off the puck, he's tough, determined and disrupts offensive plays even though he's not the biggest player on the ice. He's still only a teenager, but Hawryluk shows a lot of potential as a significant-minutes, two-way forward.
Ian McCoshen is effective, yet bland. His performance and hockey IQ draw attention to him as a prospect, even if you don't see him blaze by several players leading a rush. He's very good defensively, using his body and stick well to make stops, and is positionally sound.
Denis Malgin has been a top prospect in Switzerland's program for a number of years. He's a pretty good skater and his puck skills are fantastic, as he can make offense out of nothing. He's a very good passer who can make a lot of tough dishes, but can also try to be too fancy at times. He's small, and his fringe physical game restricts him, especially since he's not great defensively.
Kyle Rau will be a guy to watch as a pro. He won't blow you away with talent, but he's quite gifted with the puck, enough to score a lot as a pro if his small size doesn't hold him back too much. He's smart, works hard and showed defensive value in college at Minnesota. Michael Downing is a big, tough defenseman who can skate and move the puck well for a player with his style of play. He'll need to simplify his decisions at times, and I don't see a big-time offensive player as a pro, but he can move a puck just fine.
Juho Lammikko was one of the better two-way forwards in the CHL this past season. He has above-average puck skills, works hard and is very smart in his own end. He is a consistent short-handed scoring threat. Samuel Montembeault is a big goalie who has a lot of room to fill out, as he visibly doesn't cover as much net as he could. His movements are subtle in the net, and he gets square with the puck consistently. He's not an athletic stalwart, but his lower-body movements are at an above-average level. He also has no issue getting loud in his communication with his defensemen. He'll need to improve his angles.
I have to give a mention to winger Connor Brickley (11th), who turned his prospect status around quickly in one season after a mediocre college career. He's a high-speed/energy forward who was impressive offensively in his rookie AHL season. He could potentially be a depth NHLer.
Noteworthy prospect
I'm not fully ready to label former first-round pick Quinton Howden a bust, but he's treading close to those waters due to so-so play as a pro, as well as injuries. I love his skating, he's got size and can finish, but he hasn't shown the offensive instincts to play forward in the NHL.
2015-16 impact
Lawson Crouse will make a case for himself at NHL camp. But given how young the Panthers already are, I believe he'll spend another season back in the OHL. Grimaldi faces similar depth chart issues, but he's at the point where he could force the club's hand. Mike Matheson has a shot to play in the league this season as well, although I expect he'll start in the AHL.