The Florida Panthers waited longer than they expected to make a pick in the 2026 NHL draft, but when their first chance finally came at No. 40 overall, they went with a player who fits their identity almost perfectly.
Florida selected Lithuanian forward Simas Ignatavicius, an 18-year-old winger who checks a lot of the boxes the Panthers value: size, straight-line speed, physical play and a solid two-way game. At 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, he brings the kind of frame and style that make him stand out in a draft class.
The Panthers originally held the ninth overall pick before sending it to the Ottawa Senators. They also moved the 25th pick, which they had acquired from the Seattle Kraken, in the deal to land Brady Tkachuk. That left Florida without a selection until the second round, but the wait didn’t stop them from finding a player many draft analysts believed could go late in the first round or early in the second.
Ignatavicius was born after the September 15 cutoff as a late 2007 birthday. He has spent the last several years in Switzerland, where he’s been with Genève-Servette HC for quite some time and made his NL debut this season. In 52 games, he scored seven goals and totaled 13 points.
After being drafted, Ignatavicius explained the winding path that brought him here.
“I was born in Memphis, Tennessee,” Ignatavicius said after being drafted. “Long story short, my dad used to play professional basketball, like college, and then played in Europe, and after his career, he was just living in the U.S. with my mom, and obviously both parents were Lithuanian, so they decided to move back to Lithuania, and I went with them. After that, I left my parents at the age of 12, I went by myself to Switzerland, so that was a big thing, and here I am now.”
That move at age 12 set him on a different track, and now he’ll return to Switzerland for the 2026-27 season to keep building his game and pushing his offense forward.
For the Panthers, the appeal is obvious. Ignatavicius already has a fairly polished defensive game and a high motor, which gives him a real floor as a bottom-six winger. If his shot and playmaking continue to develop, there’s also a path to more.
He said he likes to model his game after Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and the fit with Florida’s style is easy to see.
“I think just playing a 200-foot game, obviously defense first, then offense, playing hard,” said Ignatavicius. “Obviously they have Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk now, two big players, physical, but I’m sure I can help that too. I’m a big guy, not scared to go into dirty areas, and I think that’s what can help the team go to the playoffs and go for the Stanley Cup, so I’ll do my best, and yeah, I’m just ready to work.”
That blend of size, grit and energy is exactly why the Panthers believe he can fit in their system. Others in the organization, including prospects like Sandis Vilmanis, have already shown how much that brand of hockey can reward players who embrace it. Ignatavicius now gets his turn.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Made A Gritty Move Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Panthers have added a familiar edge to the blue line by bringing in Radko Gudass signing rights from Anaheim, a move that fits the hard-nosed identity Florida has leaned into in recent years. Gudas is the kind of defenseman who plays with bite, and the possibility of a reunion immediately gives the Panthers another proven physical presence to consider as they shape the roster for next season.
The timing matters because Gudas and A.J. Greer are both nearing unrestricted free agency, so Florida is acting now to keep control of the situation before the market opens up. Greer is coming off the best offensive year of his career and should give Anaheim some size and toughness, while the Panthers are left weighing how quickly they can turn a rights acquisition into a deal that makes the back end even harder to play against. [Read more 🡒]