2019 Draft Check-In: Big Panthers Class is Starting to Make Noise

In another season shortened by COVID-19, these prospects still managed to make waves.
Highlighted by the ascension of first-round pick Spencer Knight, the Panthers had more than a few of their nine total picks from the 2019 NHL Draft make their professional debuts in 2020-21, a group that also includes players like John Ludvig, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Cole Schwindt.

After using the 13th overall pick to scoop up Knight in Round 1, the Panthers spent three of their first four picks on defensemen to kick off a very busy second day of the draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver in 2019, eventually heading home with one goalie, three blueliners and five forwards.
Roughly two years later, several of those picks already look very promising.
So, with organization set to welcome its next crop of prospects at the 2021 NHL Draft on July 23-24, here's a quick look at how the members of the 2019 class performed this past season.

Spencer Knight (1st round, 13th overall)

Position:Goalie
DOB: April 19, 2001
Height:6'3''
Weight:192 lbs.
Catches: Left
2020-21 Team:Boston College (NCAA) / Florida Panthers (NHL)
This past season was one that Knight won't soon forget.
Prior to putting pen to paper on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers in March, the 20-year-old goaltender made headlines both at home and abroad for his exceptional play in net.
Starting with his time at Boston College, he opened up his sophomore season on a personal 11-game unbeaten streak before going on to finish as a top-10 finalist for the Hoby Baker Award behind a 16-4-1 record, 2.18 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and three shutouts.
Taking a break to don the stars and stripes during the middle of his final collegiate campaign, the Darien, Connecticut native also stole the show on the international stage when he guided the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton.
In addition to finishing the tournament with a 5-1-0 record, 1.63 goals-against average, .940 save percentage and three shutouts, he was also named USA's "Player of the Game" for the gold-medal game after turning aside all 34 shots he faced during a 2-0 victory over Canada.
Upon making the jump to the NHL, he didn't skip a beat.
After gobbling up 33 of 34 shots to backstop the Panthers to a 5-1 win over the Blue Jackets in his NHL debut on April 20, he went on to finish the regular season with a flawless 4-0-0 record, 2.32 goals-against average and .919 save percentage over four appearances (three starts).

Just as cool and collected during the playoffs, he went 1-1-0 with a 2.06 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in two starts against the cross-state rival Lightning, including a 36-save performance during a 4-1 win at BB&T Center in his NHL postseason debut in Game 5.
Looking ahead, Knight's future looks brighter than the sun in South Florida.
"It's been a crazy last couple of months, kind of flew by," Knight said following the team's exit meetings in June. "Only got in a few games and a few playoff games, but it's really helpful for me going into the offseason, just being able to recognize that I've started my professional career. I think it just gives me a sense of what it's like around here and what it's like to be a pro."

Vladislav Kolyachonok (2nd round, 52nd overall)

Position: Defense
DOB: May 26, 2001
Height:6'1''
Weight:193 lbs.
Shoots:Left
2020-21 Team: Minsk Dynamo (KHL) / Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
Kolyachonok saw good action on both sides of the Atlantic this past season.
Following two successful tours with Flint in the OHL, the 20-year-old defenseman kicked off the 2020-21 campaign competing against grown men in the KHL. Playing for his hometown team in Minsk, Belarus, he recorded one goal and five assists while making nice strides over 46 games.

Transitioning to North America later in the season, he then made his AHL debut with the Crunch in April. Lacing up his skates in 10 games in Syracuse, he compiled two assists and a +2 rating.
The Panthers signed Kolyachonok to a three-year, entry-level contract on Sept. 13, 2019.

John Ludvig (3rd round, 69th overall)

Position: Defense
DOB:Aug. 2, 2000
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 213 lbs.
Shoots:Left
2020-21 Team:Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
The sample size was small, but the results were certainly exciting.
Prior to being added to the Panthers' expanded playoff roster in May, Ludvig competed in 13 games with the Crunch during his debut season in the AHL, racking up eight points (two goals, six assists), 13 penalty minutes and a +4 rating.

Finding his groove during the second half of the season, the 20-year-old defenseman amassed six points (two goals, four assists) during a solid six-game stretch from March 1 through April 2.
The Panthers signed Ludvig to a three-year, entry-level contract on March 30, 2020.

Cole Schwindt (3rd round, 81st overall)

Position: Center / Right Wing
DOB:April 25, 2001
Height: 6'2''
Weight:182 lbs.
Shoots:Right
2020-21 Team: Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
Schwindt got his first taste of what it's like to be a professional hockey player this past season.
With the OHL season cancelled due to COVID-19, the 20-year-old forward graduated from the junior ranks a bit ahead of schedule. Making his AHL debut in February, he went on to record a goal and an assist in 10 games with Syracuse before being recalled by the Panthers in April.

Finishing out the season on Florida's taxi squad, Schwindt said he was able to pick up some invaluable tips and tricks from NHL veterans like Scott Wilson and Kevin Connauton that will help him continue to improve his all-around game as he prepares for the upcoming campaign.
"I had a lot of time down in Syracuse and then got a little stint up in Florida," Schwindt, who inked a three-year, entry-level contract with the Panthers on April 8, 2020, said during a recent appearance on the Panthers Pipeline podcast. "I'm just taking what I learned form that whole season where we made the best of a tough situation. I just want to take everything that I've learned and bring it into the offseason. I'm eager to make sure I'm doing what I need to do."

Carter Berger (4th round, 106th overall)

Position: Defense
DOB: Sept. 17, 1999
Height: 6'0''
Weight:200 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2020-21 Team: University of Connecticut Huskies (NCAA)
Berger played a responsible game during his sophomore season at UConn.
Tied for second among the team's defensemen in scoring with nine points (one goal, eight assists), the 21-year-old was whistled for just three minor penalties over 21 games.

Steadily dishing out helpers from the blue line, his best stretch of the season came in January when he recorded an assist in five of eight games played that month.

Henrik Rybinski (5th round, 136th overall)

Position: Left Wing
DOB:June 26, 2001
Height:6'1''
Weight:185 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2020-21 Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Rybinski led the Thunderbirds in scoring with 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) in 23 games this past season.
With the Panthers no longer holding his exclusive negotiation rights (the deadline to sign him passed on June 1), the 20-year-old forward will re-enter the player pool for the upcoming draft.

Owen Lindmark (5th round, 137th overall)

Position:Center
DOB: May 17, 2001
Height:6'0''
Weight: 192 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2020-21 Team:Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)
Lindmark took a step forward during his sophomore season at Wisconsin.
Despite playing in nine fewer games, he managed to match the 17 points he produced during his freshman campaign in 2019-20, including dishing out a career-high 13 assists. A versatile penalty killer, he also scored a pair of shorthanded goals for the second consecutive season.

Playing his best down the home stretch, the 20-year-old forward recorded at least one point in five of his final six regular-season games, pocketing one goal and five assists during that run.

Greg Meireles (6th round, 168th overall)

Position:Center / Right Wing
DOB:Jan. 1, 1999
Height: 5'10''
Weight:181 lbs.
Shoots:Right
2020-21 Team:Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL) / Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
Meireles carved out a nice role for himself in the minors during his first professional season.
Inked to a one-year AHL contract in October, the 22-year-old forward went on to post 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 31 regular-season games with the Swamp Rabbits, including 11 points over a nine-game stretch in January in which he was named the ECHL's "Rookie of the Month."

Producing at a point-per-game pace during the Kelly Cup Playoffs, he also notched five points (two goals, three assists) in five games to help Greenville reach the Eastern Conference Final.
Earning a promotion to the AHL in February, Meireles appeared in three games with Syracuse.

Matthew Wedman (7th round, 199th overall)

Position:Left Wing
DOB: May 25, 1999
Height:6'3''
Weight:196 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2020-21 Team:Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL)
Like Meireles, Wedman also spent this past season on a one-year AHL deal.
Getting his first taste of the pros after fine-tuning his game for five seasons in the WHL, the 22-year-old forward registered four goals, four assists and 81 shots over 34 regular-season games with the Swamp Rabbits, while also hitting the ice for two games during the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Never shying away from a scrap, Wedman also ranked fourth on Greenville in penalty minutes (51), including dropping the gloves three times, according to the database at HockeyFights.com.