2018 Draft Check-In: Panthers' Diverse Class Continues to Make Strides

The seeds of the Florida Panthers 2018 NHL Draft Class are starting to sprout.
After selecting dynamic winger Grigori Denisenko with the 15th overall pick in the first round at American Airlines Center in Dallas, the Panthers continued to span the globe in their search for talent, adding five other skaters from various parts of the world to re-stock their prospect pool.

In addition to scooping up Denisenko on Day 1, the organization's second day of the draft was highlighted by the savvy selections of Serron Noel (34th overall), Logan Hutsko (89th overall), Justin Schutz (170th overall), Cole Krygier (201st overall) and Santtu Kinnunen (207th overall).
Of those six draft picks, five different countries and six different leagues were represented.
Now more than two years since that draft, the 2018 class is starting to make waves both home and abroad. And while top picks such as Denisenko and Noel will soon be pushing for spots in the NHL and AHL, the other members of this diverse class appear to not be too far behind them.
So, as the Panthers preparing to add even more players to their talent pipeline at the 2020 NHL Draft, which will be held digitally on Oct. 6-7, here's an update on how the 2018 class is looking.
Grigori Denisenko (1st round, 15th overall)
Position:Left Wing
DOB:June 24, 2000
Height:5'11''
Weight:181 lbs.
Shoots:Right 2019-20
Team:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)
Don't look now, but Denisenko is ready to make the jump to North America.
After agreeing to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers in May, the 20-year-old winger, who has spent the past two seasons honing his craft in the KHL, is eager to push for a spot with the Panthers whenever the 2020-21 campaign ends up getting underway.
"I'm] ready [to travel] as soon as possible," Denisenko said through a translator a few days after putting pen to paper on his new deal with Florida. "When the airports open, [I] want to come as soon as possible, search for [a] home, meet the team, meet coaches and [check out
"[I'm] very happy for this opportunity to play for Florida and [sign my] first NHL contract," said Denisenko, who notched 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) over two career trips to the U20 World Juniors. "[I'm] ready enough to play and be a great part of the team."
Whenever Florida's camp begins, Denisenko's quest for a roster spot will be a big storyline.
Serron Noel (2nd round, 34th overall)
Position:Right Wing DOB: Aug. 8, 2000
Height:6'5''
Weight: 216 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2019-20 Team: Oshawa (OHL) / Kitchener (OHL)
After shaking off a slow start, Noel ended this past season on a high note.
Coming off a strong 2018-19 season in which he posted a career-high 81 points (34 goals, 47 assists), the 20-year-old winger produced at just under a point-per-game clip in 2019-20, tallying 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) over 48 contests during a pandemic-shortened OHL campaign.
Traded from Oshawa to Kitchener on Jan. 8, Noel earned at least one point in eight of his final 10 games to close the season, including a four-assist performance in a 7-3 win over Sarnia on Feb. 28. If the season had continued, he appeared to be on track for a strong playoff showing.

A big-bodied forward, Noel's size is complimented by his unique blend of speed and skill. Over 241 career regular-season games in the OHL, he amassed 202 points (88 goals, 114 assists).
Having already inked a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers back on March 8, 2019, it appears that Noel is on track to make the jump from juniors to the pros in 2020-21.
"I look at Wayne Simmonds, how powerful and dominant he was and how much fear he made other players scared of him every night," Noel said after signing his contract with Florida. "It's pretty incredible… They obviously play a really hard game, and I kind of want to model myself a little bit after that. But I also think that I have a lot of offensive potential as well."
Logan Hutsko (3rd round, 89th overall)
Position:Center / Right Wing
DOB: Feb. 11, 1999 Height: 5'11''
Weight:174 lbs. Shoots: Right 2019-20
Team: Boston College (NCAA)
Hutsko took his offensive game to another level this past season.
A top-line winger during his junior campaign with the Eagles, the 21-year-old set new career-highs in goals (19) and points (33) in 30 games, with his 19 goals being tied for the team-lead. Additionally, his nifty 3.7 goals per game average ranked seventh in Men's Division I Hockey.
"As you get older in college, you start to gain more confidence each year," Hutsko said in April. "You develop each year. I think just finally having some more confidence this year in my scoring abilities and that sense. You just keep trying to grow each year and becoming a better player."
Taking a closer look at his numbers, the biggest reason for this spike in offense likely boils down to consistency. Of the 30 games that Hutsko competed in, he registered at least one point in 26 of them, including kicking off the 2019-20 season with an absolutely torrid 12-game point streak.
He also posted multi-point performances on seven different occasions.

"You try to not be a streaky player," said Hutsko. "You try and bring it every night. Sometimes things don't go your way and there's things that are out of your control, so it's really all about just showing up every single night and playing to the best of your ability."
Given that Boston College was ranked fourth in the nation and was looking like a contender before the NCAA season was cancelled due to the coronavirus, Hutsko said he will enter the 2020-21 campaign with unfinished business on his mind as he chases a championship as a senior.
"I thought about it a lot," Hutsko said of the decision to return to school. "It was definitely a tough decision, but the decision I made to go back to school was based on the fact we had a really special team this year. We weren't able to get an opportunity to show how special we could've been.
"Just not being able to see what our team could've been definitely hurt. We have a really great group coming back next year. Everyone is kind of sticking around and coming back. I think we have a group that can have a really special year and win some trophies. That was a big part of my decision."
Justin Schutz (6th round, 170th overall)
Position: Left Wing DOB: June 24, 2000
Height:5'11'' Weight: 181 lbs.
Shoots: Left 2019-20
Team: EHC Munchen (DEL)
Schutz got a chance to compete on junior hockey's biggest stage this past season.
After helping Germany climb back up to the top division with a win at the 2019 IIHF 1A World Junior Championship, the 20-year-old forward helped ensure that his country would remain there with a good overall showing at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in December.
Playing in all seven for Germany's games at the annual U20 event, Schutz tallied four assists, including a pair of helpers in a 6-0 win over Kazakhstan in the tournament's relegation final.
"I think German hockey's rising a little bit," Schutz said.

When he wasn't competing on the junior international stage, Schutz spent the majority of his time playing against grown men in the DEL, which is Germany's top men's league. In 42 games with Munich EHC, he racked up 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and 24 penalty minutes.
Prior to this season, he'd only had three career games in the DEL under his belt.
"It's a big difference to play with men," Schutz said at Florida's development camp in 2019. "It's a huge difference to play in junior and then come into the pros. When you go into battles again men, they're bigger and smarter. You just try to go out there and show what you can."
With his first full season of professional hockey now behind him,
Schutz is slated to begin the 2020-21 campaign with EC Red Bull Salzburg
until the DEL season is able to get underway, at which point he is expected to return to Munich EHC in order to continue fine-tuning his game.
"I think that for young players, such as myself, there is nothing more important than gaining experience playing in competitive games," Schutz told Red Bull's website. "I'm very grateful to the organization for giving me the chance to play in Salzburg. It will allow me to develop and gain more experience in professional hockey."
Cole Krygier (7th round, 201st overall)
Position: Defense
DOB: May 5, 2000
Height: 6'3''
Weight:194 lbs.
Shoots: Left 2019-20
Team:Michigan State (NCAA)
Krygier took on more responsibility as a sophomore this past season.
Taking the ice for all 36 games with Michigan State, the 20-year-old defenseman managed to reach new career-highs in goals (3), points (6) and shots on goal (51) before the NCAA season unfortunately came to an abrupt end in March due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
The son of former NHL defenseman Todd Krygier, who played 543 career games split between for the Hartford, Washington and Anaheim, Cole is joined on the Spartans blue line by his twin brother, Christian, who was taken five picks earlier in the 2018 draft by the New York Islanders.
Although he's known more for his physicality and defensive prowess, Krygier showed off his scoring touch early in the season, lighting the lamp twice over the course of Michigan State's first two games, including netting the club's first goal of the year on the power play on Oct. 11.
Looking ahead, Krygier is expected to return to Michigan State for his junior season.
Santtu Kinnunen (7th round, 207th overall)
Position:Defense
DOB:March 25, 1999
Height: 6'2''
Weight:161 lbs.
Shoots:Right 2019-20
Team: Pelicans (Liiga) / Peliitat (Mestis)
With their final pick in the draft, the Panthers took a flyer on Kinnunen.
Bouncing between Liiga and Finland's second-tier league, Mestis, for the second straight season, Kinnunen saw an uptick in his number while on loan from Lahti to Peliitat Heinola. Competing in 26 games with Heinola in Mestis, he finished fourth among the club's defensemen in scoring with 10 points (two goals, eight assists).
Still, Kinnunen showed a lot of improvement after being shipped down to the second-tier league in Finland, Mestis. Loaned from Pelicans to Peliitat, he went on to finish fourth among Heinola's defensemen in scoring with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) despite playing in just 26 games.
So, what's next?
After inking a two-year contract with Tappara Tampere in March - a Liiga team that's partially owned by Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov - Kinnunen will look to bounce back in 2020-21 while also continuing to focus on adding a bit of needed size to his 6-foot-2, 161-pound frame.

A mobile right-shot defenseman with a long reach, he's certainly worth keeping an eye on.