Weekly Wraparound 62: 2025 NHL Draft Recap, Free Agent Frenzy Begins, and Meeting Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen
Welcome back to the Weekly Wraparound, your headquarters for all things Panthers. Here, we eagerly anticipate every puck drop and ensure that style takes the spotlight at center ice.
I'm Kassi Coviello, and I'm inviting you to lace up your skates as we rally around the electrifying wins, penalty kill the challenging lows, and break down every exhilarating moment in between!
2025 NHL Draft
The 2025 NHL Draft took place on June 27–28 in Los Angeles, California. Night 1 featured Round 1 selections, while Day 2 covered Rounds 2 through 7. This year’s draft delivered some truly memorable moments. Let’s recap the highlights.
With the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer. He was the highly anticipated top choice. Since 2000, only four other defensemen have been taken first overall: Owen Power (2021, Buffalo Sabres), Rasmus Dahlin (2018, Buffalo Sabres), Aaron Ekblad (2014, Florida Panthers), and Erik Johnson (2006, St. Louis Blues).
Roger McQueen, selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks, was immediately helicoptered to Disneyland to celebrate. He also chose jersey number 95, a nod to Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie Cars.
Several current and former NHL stars took the stage to announce draft picks, along with a mix of celebrities and athletes, including Charles Barkley, Adam Sandler, and Nikki Glaser, who also participated in the selections.
The Vancouver Canucks were the only organization to congratulate the Florida Panthers on their back-to-back Stanley Cups. Watch that moment and their selection here.
Here is a recap of the first-round picks:
Matthew Schaefer, D→ New York Islanders
Michael Misa, C → San Jose Sharks
Anton Frondell, C → Chicago Blackhawks
Caleb Desnoyers, C → Utah Mammoth
Brady Martin, C → Nashville Predators
Porter Martone, RW → Philadelphia Flyers
James Hagens, C → Boston Bruins
Jake O’Brien, C → Seattle Kraken
Radim Mrtka, D → Buffalo Sabres
Roger McQueen, C → Anaheim Ducks
Benjamin Kindel, C → Pittsburgh Penguins
Jack Nesbitt, C → Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Bear, LW → Detroit Red Wings
Jackson Smith, D → Columbus Blue Jackets
Braeden Cootes, C → Vancouver Canucks
Victor Eklund, RW → New York Islanders
Kashawn Aitcheson, D → New York Islanders
Cole Reschny, C → Calgary Flames
Justin Carbonneau, RW → St. Louis Blues
Pyotr Andreyanov, G → Columbus Blue Jackets
Cameron Reid, D → Nashville Predators
Bill Zonnon, RW → Pittsburgh Penguins
Logan Hensler, D → Ottawa Senators
Will Horcoff, C → Pittsburgh Penguins
Vaclav Nestrasil, RW → Chicago Blackhawks
Ryker Lee, RW → Nashville Predators
Lynden Lakovic, LW → Washington Capitals
Sascha Boumedienne, D → Winnipeg Jets
Mason West, C → Chicago Blackhawks
Joshua Ravensbergen, G → San Jose Sharks
Henry Brzustewicz, D → Los Angles Kings
Cullen Potter, C → Calgary Flames
Free Agent Frenzy: Began on July 1
Free agency began on Tuesday, July 1, and many players will start the 2025–26 season wearing new jerseys.
One of the most notable changes this offseason is the salary cap increase, from $88 million to $95.5 million for the 2025–26 season. The cap is also on track to rise to $104 million in 2026–27 and $113 million in 2027–28. The anticipated three-year increase played a significant role in how teams approached contracts and extensions during this year’s free agency period.
With the added cap space, many teams prioritized retaining their current players rather than letting them hit the open market in search of a bigger payday.
Many teams utilized the projected increases and spent their money on retentions rather than big splashes on July 1. This anticipated cap increase helped the Florida Panthers, who were able to retain key pieces like Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Tomáš Nosek. Similarly, the Toronto Maple Leafs locked up core players John Tavares and Matthew Knies, while the Edmonton Oilers secured defenseman Evan Bouchard with a major extension.
On the flip side, some teams took advantage of the increased spending flexibility to make bold moves. The Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade with Toronto, and the New York Rangers landed defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov with a significant free agency signing.
Curious about which players the Florida Panthers retained, signed, or lost during free agency? An in-depth analysis will be posted later this week.
Wondering where all the big names landed? A full breakdown will be released next week.
Meeting Anton Lundell
During all the Championship Summer celebrations, I had the chance to meet Anton Lundell at an event and congratulate him on the back-to-back Stanley Cup wins!
Meeting Eetu Luostarinen
During all the Championship Summer celebrations, I had the chance to meet Eetu Luostarinen at an event and congratulate him on the back-to-back Stanley Cup wins!
