The Florida Panthers used their final pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft to add a big one between the pipes, selecting goaltender Louis-Antoine Denault in the seventh round at No. 217 overall. The pick came from the Minnesota Wild in the Jeff Petry trade, and it capped a path that had already brought Denault into the organization once before.
Denault went undrafted in 2025, then earned a look at Panthers development camp as an invitee. Florida clearly saw enough to keep him close, bringing him back as one of three goalies at the NHL Prospect Tournament in Wesley Chapel, FL in September.
He was also among four netminders at this summer’s development camp, sharing Team Red duties with fellow draft picks Denis Gabdrakhmanov, Olof Glifford, and invitee Ben Hrebik. Denault and Hrebik split the crease for Team Red in a 4-1 loss in the 3-on-3 scrimmage on the final day.
The 6’8″ Denault spent last season in the QMJHL, opening with the Quebec Remparts before moving to the Newfoundland Regiment on December 27. He played 17 games for Quebec and went 6-9-1, then settled in with Newfoundland and put together a 16-7-2 record with a 2.69 goals against average and .913 save percentage in 25 appearances.
His playoff run followed the same script of steady work. Denault helped Newfoundland get past Cape Breton in the first round before the Regiment were knocked out in six games by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. In the postseason, he finished with a 6-6 record, a 3.02 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
At 6’8″, Denault naturally covers the lower half of the net and makes shooters hunt for space upstairs, much like fellow Panthers prospect Cooper Black. He handles traffic well around the crease and can get back on his feet quickly when second chances pop up.
The questions are more about refinement: his technique still needs polish, and his puck tracking, rebound control and puck-handling abilites are not where they need to be yet. Even so, he has improved every year in the “Q,” and he’ll get another chance to keep that trend going as Newfoundland’s No. 1 goalie again.
In Other News...
Panthers Fans Will Love What Their Original TV Voice Is Revisiting
Jeff Rimer is revisiting a career that left a long trail through the NHL, and Panthers fans have reason to pay attention. The longtime broadcaster, who spent part of his journey in South Florida and now lives there with his wife after retiring, has a new memoir on the way. It traces his path from Calgary through a broadcasting career that eventually ended after 20 seasons as the TV voice of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2025.
The book, now up for presale, looks back on the kind of booth moments and career turns that made Rimer a familiar voice to hockey viewers for decades. One of the most intriguing chapters comes from a season in which he called games for two NHL teams, a rare wrinkle in a life built around the mic. For Florida readers who remember his work up close, the memoir offers a fresh reason to revisit one of the original voices tied to the franchise's early TV days. [Read more 🡒]