Panthers Draft Recap- Part 2 of 2

For a team rebuilding, the Panthers were a little disappointed about only holding five picks for the last four rounds. Though after dealing a late first rounder the team added two 2nds and a fifth too grab more depth to the prospect pool and hopefully find some hidden gems and talented players while they were at it.  Out of the eight players selected through rounds 2-5, the Panthers took four Canadians, two Swedes, an American and a Czech.  Also of note the team took six forwards, and only two defenseman. Also leads to no goalies taken in the 2009 draft by the Panthers.

2^nd Round

40^th Overall Pick

Jeremy Morin, Left Wing, USDP

Born: April 16^th, 1991

Born in: Auburn, NY

HT: 6’1”   WT: 189 lbs

Scouting Report:

Jeremy has excellent hands and a big-time shot. He stickhandles very well, makes some clever moves in tight-going and gets himself into position to score. His skating and acceleration are much better when he has the puck on his stick. He has a very quick stick, is quick to steal the puck and is reliable defensively. He has a choppy skating stride but gets to where he is going and possesses impressive hands and moves well through traffic.  Jeremy owns a great shot that is both hard and accurate and has natural finishing abilities.  Although he is not overly big physically, he is strong and aggressive in his puck pursuit. His playmaking abilities are underrated as he sees the ice well and will create offensive opportunities for his line mates and is a top ten talent when clicking on all cylinders.  He possesses many impressive one-on-one moves to beat defenders and is not afraid to play physically when play dictates it.

GM’s Take:

  “Jeremy is a guy we hope to have in the future as a top 6, goal scoring winger.  He has the ability to do so and we think if he just works on his skills he could be a great pick and will be a scary shooter to face.  We like that he is heading to Kitchener Rangers of the OHL next season and hopefully we see a nice improvement on his game there and try to really dominate.  Morin was an exact reason why trading down wasn’t hard for us because we knew we could get a great player and hopefully in the end we did.”

54^th Overall Pick

Anton Lander, Centre, Timra IK

Born: April 24^th, 1991

Born in: Sundsvall, SWE

HT: 6’0”  WT: 194 lbs

Scouting Report:

 His vision and smarts is what make him a special player. He is a good compliment to a scorer with his playmaking abilities and his hands are quick. Lander protects the puck well in traffic and can really score as well as pass. He is defensively aware at all times and drives back into his zone watching his mark. He is deceptively strong and has good balance. Lander is a born leader.

GM’s Note:

“We finally left our comfort zone in taking North American guys, but as we see it, this is a good pick and was a player we watched heavily.  His size is not a problem at all and he is a great playmaker that will help all the scorers we hope to have.  But really this guy has played against men the last few years and has done a good job at it, he really plays a very good game and when he ever plays at the national level in his age group he is always captain and that was something we liked.  Anton is a guy who really could be a future captain with us and the leading capability and just his hockey sense will bring him to a high level in the MRFHL and we just couldn’t pass on him.”

55^th Overall Pick

Eric Gelinas, Defenseman, Lewiston MAINEiacs

Born: May 8^th, 1991

Born in: Vanier, Ont

HT: 6’4”  WT: 185 lbs

Scouting Report:

Eric is a big body that skates very well. Eric also possesses great speed for his size and very impressive overall mobility.  He thinks the game with a defensive first approach but also makes a solid first pass and can make plays with the puck. He has outstanding reach and quick hands and also has a nice shot from the point and gets it on net consistently. He jumps up into the play when and if it's safe and he will not get caught defensively. He uses his strength and size well in his own zone and controls his gaps like a pro. He reads the play well and anticipates the play to break it up. He is very dependable and will get the job done and fills