Zito Happy with Panthers' Haul of Picks on Day 2 of NHL Draft

SUNRISE, Fla. - As their picks approached, the Florida Panthers collectively held their breath.
Yet, whenever they ended up on the clock, an exhale was often followed by an audible cheer.
Building off a strong Day 1 in which they nabbed center Anton Lundell with the 12th overall pick, Panthers general manager Bill Zito said the organization couldn't have asked for a much better Day 2 at the 2020 NHL Draft as highly-rated players kept falling to them throughout Rounds 2-7.

"I was pretty thrilled with the work that the scouts did," Zito said with a smile from his war room at BB&T Center immediately after the draft had wrapped up on Wednesday night. "We had a lot of our higher-rated picks available to us later than we had ever anticipated.
"It was quite exciting… I had a couple of very nice conversations with players. I had the good fortune of telling them, 'Hey, when the pick just prior to ours went and you weren't taken, there was a little cheer in our room.'"
Entering the second day of the draft with seven picks at his disposal, Zito upped that number to eight when he sent the 137th overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for picks No. 153 and 212.
In the end, that hefty haul of picks was used to fortify all areas of Florida's pipeline as the team selected forwards Emil Heineman (43rd overall), Ty Smilanic (74th overall), Justin Sourdif (87th overall) and Elliot Ekmark (198th overall), defensemen Michael Benning (95th overall), Zachary Uens (105th overall) and Kasper Puutio (153rd overall), and netminder Devon Levi (212th overall).
"We focused on the best player available," Zito said. "It was an arduous task. I can't give enough credit to the scouts. We put in a copious amount of work over the last 10 days since I got here. I really have to give them so much credit, with a new guy coming in and questioning them… Pretty much every decision they made, I challenged them on.
"Many times and instances that I really didn't have the wherewithal from which to challenge, but I kept pushing them to reconsider everything they did. They put in so many long hard hours of work… We were fortunate enough to get a range of players. We're really content and happy with the skill level and the ability of the players as well as their character."
If you missed Day 1 on Tuesday and would like to read more about Lundell, click HERE.
For quotes, notes and much more on Florida's Day 2 selections, continue reading below.

Emil Heineman (2nd round, 43rd overall)

Position:LW
DOB: Nov. 16, 2001 (Leksand, Sweden)
Height:6'1''
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoots:Left
2019-20 Team:Leksands IF J20 (J20 SuperElit)
Draft Reaction: "I've been dreaming of this since I was a little kid."
Heineman entered the draft on the heels of the biggest season of his career.
After recording just five points (one goal, four assists) in 26 games with Leksands IF J20 in 2018-19, the 18-year-old winger seemingly came out of nowhere to become one of the top players in SuperElit this past season, tallying 41 points (26 goals, 15 assists) in 29 games.
When asked about this spike in production, he said that his struggles only made him stronger.
"The year before this massive season, I played on the third line," Heineman said. "I was a year younger than everybody else. I didn't play on the power play, only the PK. It was a tough year. I was there competing every day. I combined that style of hockey with the role that I had last year with playing [on the] power play and a lot of confidence from the coach. I combined the year before with the role that I got to create that success. We had a good team also. That helps, too."
While his 26 goals - which were tied for the fourth-most in SuperElit in 2019-20 - certainly jump off the page, it's a commitment to playing a 200-foot game that Heineman prides himself on. By combining skill and physicality, his defensive plays often lead to chances in the offensive zone.
On the power play, he also possesses quite an impressive one-timer.
"Do whatever it takes to win, doing that by skill and a physical game," Heineman said.
Looking ahead, Heineman is already four games into his first full season playing against grown men with Leksands in Sweden's top professional league, the SHL. Towards the tail end of the 2019-20 campaign, he was promoted to the SHL for 11 games, registering a pair of an assists.
"The transition has been pretty good," said Heineman, who is also expected to push for a spot on Sweden's roster for the 2021 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship. "I feel like my speed and all that has always kind of been my strength. We had a great compete level at the U20 team."
"The transition wasn't so hard. Coming into this year, I feel much stronger and I can do more on the ice. I feel more comfortable. There's a difference of the experience. You're facing grown up men instead of juniors. I think it's going to be a good development year for me."

Ty Smilanic (3rd round, 74th overall)

Position: C
DOB: Jan. 20, 2002 (Denver, CO)
Height:6'1''
Weight:179 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2019-20 Team:U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)
Draft Reaction: "It's an awesome feeling."
Smilanic made history the moment the Panthers called his name.
Entering his freshman season at Quinnipiac University, the 18-year-old center is the highest-drafted player in the school's history, edging out the likes of New York Islanders defenseman Devon Toews (108th overall, 2014) and Ottawa Senators forward Matthew Peca (201st overall, 2011).
"That's a cool feeling," Smilanic said. "It's a great group of guys right now. I look at my phone and I think every single one of my teammates texted and congratulated me. The culture they have here at Quinnipiac is unbelievable. To be the highest-drafted player from Quinnipiac is cool, but it also shows their movement [as a school]. Quinnipiac has always been a great college for hockey."
Armed with a mixture of speed and strength, the two-way center was limited by various injuries throughout the 2019-20 season, but often played a top-line role for the U.S. National U18 Team when he was healthy. In 34 games with the USNTDP, he racked up seven goals and 15 assists.
In 12 games with USNTDP's junior team in the USHL, he posted three goals and six assists.
"The coolest part about it all was that I got to represent my country," Smilanic said of his time with the USNTDP. "I got to do that every day for two years. That's an awesome feeling. Now, I feel since I was there I got to develop as a player. I'll step into college this year after having already played college games last year. I'm not having a feeling out process right now."
On paper, this pick looks like a steal for the Panthers. Prior to being bitten by the injury bug, Smilanic was ranked 18th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings. Heading into the draft, he fell a little bit, but was still ranked 24th on the final rankings.
During his post-draft media, he was joined by his parents, sister and one of his brothers.
"I've heard people say the draft is nerve-wracking, and I kind of took that for granted," Smilanic said. "Going through it myself, I think they kind of understated that. It's more than nerve-wracking, especially for me but also my family. Once I heard my name called by Florida, I was excited."

Justin Sourdif (3rd round, 87th overall)

Position: C
DOB:March 24, 2002 (Surrey, BC)
Height: 5'11''
Weight:165 lbs.
Shoots:Right
2019-20 Team: Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Like Smilanic, the Panthers appeared to find another great value pick with Sourdif. Heading into the draft ranked 23rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, he also entered Day 2 as the 14th-best player remaining on the board, according to The Athletic's Corey Pronman, who describes the 18-year-old center as "tenacious" around the puck areas.
"We saw a two-way forward with skill and a chip on his shoulder," Zito said.
An effective player at both ends of the ice, Sourdif recorded career-highs in goals (26), assists (28) and points (54) in 57 games with the Giants in 2019-20. Without question, his best stretch of the season came from Jan. 26-Feb. 21, when he scored 10 goals during a 10-game point streak.
On the international stage, Sourdif netted one goal and added four assists for five points in five games at the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, helping Canada win silver in the process. He also had three points (one goal, two assists) in six contests at the 2018 U-17 World Hockey Challenge.
"He has that type of combination of skill and compete that we're looking for," Zito said.

Michael Benning (4th round, 95th overall)

Position: D
DOB:Jan. 5, 2002 (St. Albert, AB)
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 177 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2019-20 Team: Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)
Draft Reaction:"It's a great honor just be drafted. It's a dream come true."
Benning was born to play hockey.
His father, Brian, played 10 seasons in the NHL - including two with the Panthers (1993-95) - while his brother, Matt, is currently manning the blue line for the Edmonton Oilers. Meanwhile, his uncle, Jim, is a former NHL player and current general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.
"There's not a lot of words to describe it," Benning said. "It's kind of amazing that my dad was here at one time. I think it's a great experience and really good organization to be a part of."
Before the draft, Benning said he was wearing a pair of his father's old Panthers shorts.
"They're just kind of lounging shorts," Benning said. "I put those on before the draft. I snapped [my dad] a quick pic of that when I got drafted. I don't know if it's foreshadowing or what, but I thought it was pretty cool."
An offensive-minded defenseman, Benning ranked first among AJHL blueliners in scoring with 77 points (31 goals, 46 assists) in 54 games during the 2019-20 campaign. For his efforts, he was named the AJHL and CJHL's "Most Outstanding Defenseman" and a 2020 AJHL All-Star.
With an accurate shot, great hands and creative mind in the offensive zone, he also took home the AJHL's "Rookie of the Year" award in 2018-19 after tallying 61 points (10 goals, 51 assists) in 60 games. That same year, he also notched one goal and eight assists in 12 playoff games.
"For me as a player, I think I'm an offensive defenseman," Benning said. "I'm a puck-moving guy. I can create a lot of stuff offensively, especially on the power play… A lot of energy in me, too. I like to get the boys fired up."
Moving forward, Benning is committed to playing at the University of Denver this season, where he plans to "get stronger, more mature" as he works to supplement his vast offensive skills with increased stability and execution in every area of the game, especially in the defensive zone.
"Playing with older guys, I think it's going to be a good help for me," Benning said.

Zachary Uens (4th round, 105th overall)

Position:D
DOB:May 13, 2001 (Bellville, ON)
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 174 lbs.
Shoots:Left
2019-20 Team:Merrimack College (NCAA)
Draft Reaction:"I can't string two words together right now. It's super cool."
Passed over in the 2019 NHL Draft, Uens plays with a chip on shoulder.
During his freshman season at Merrimack College in 2019-20, the 19-year-old ranked second among the team's defensemen in scoring with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 34 games. Of those points, eight came on the power play. Playing with an edge, he also had 68 penalty minutes.
"It definitely motivated me a lot," Uens said of going undrafted last year. "It hurts not getting drafted, especially when I thought I probably should've gone last year. I don't think I would've gone as high, so it's pretty gratifying to see all of your hard work paying off from this past year."
Looking at film, what really stands out about Uens is his powerful and smooth skating ability.
"I wasn't the greatest skater when I was a kid and first started playing," Uens chuckled. "No, that's definitely been a huge kudos to all my coaches I've had in the past and everybody that's helped me along the way. I've worked really, really hard to focus on that element of my game."
Heading into his sophomore season at Merrimack, Uens, who describes himself as a two-way defenseman, is beaming with confidence and looking to keep developing his all-around game.
"I'm able to bring the puck out of my own zone," Uens said. "I'm able to join the rush and help produce offense. I'm getting better. This year I took a big leap in the defensive parts of my game. I think that's just going to continue, especially going into my second year at school."

Kasper Puutio (5th round, 153rd overall)

Position: D
DOB:June 3, 2002 (Vaasa, Finland)
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoots: Right
2019-20 Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL) / Everett Silvertips (WHL)
There's a lot to like when it comes to Puutio's potential.
Taken with the first-overall pick in the 2019 CHL Import Draft by Swift Current, the 18-year-old defenseman opened up the 2019-20 season with the Broncos, producing 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) in 35 games before being traded to Everett in a multi-player deal in early January.
With the Silvertips, he went on to register 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 21 games.
Internationally, Puutio notched three assists for Finland at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Tournament.
With the WHL season in limbo due to the pandemic, Puutio, who earned praise from pundits leading up to the draft for his hockey IQ and ability to drive possession, is back home in Finland. Hoping to play in Liiga with Karpat in 2020-21, he's currently competing for Karpat's U20 squad.
Whenever the WHL season resumes, it'll be interesting to see if Puutio remains overseas.

Elliott Ekmark (7th round, 198th overall)

Position:C
DOB: Jan. 29, 2002 (Linköping, Sweden)
Height:5'9''
Weight:159 lbs.
Shoots: Left
2019-20 Team:Linköping HC J20 (J20 SuperElit)
Despite his small stature, Ekmark packs an offensive punch.
Lacing up his skates with Linköping's U20 squad during the 2019-20 season, the 18-year-old center produced nearly a point per game, tallying 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 31 games.
Although his size makes it difficult for him to outmuscle larger defenders, he's learning more and more how to work around his limitations in the defensive zone. Committed to being an effective player at both ends of the ice, he's also a very determined backchecker, helping to support his blueliners.
Thanks in part to his high motor and active stick, he's also a useful penalty killer.
After making his SHL debut and competing in four games with Linköping last season, Ekmark is currently playing for the organization's J20 club to start the 2020-21 season. Taking a noticeable step in the right direction, he's already notched one goal and seven assists in just four contests.
If all goes well, Ekmark could find his way back into the SHL later this season.

Devon Levi (7th round, 212th overall)

Position:G
DOB: Dec. 27, 2001 (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC)
Height: 6'0''
Weight:185 lbs.
Catches: Left
2019-20 Team: Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL)
With their final pick of the draft, the Panthers found a raw and intriguing talent in Levi.
Spending the 2019-20 campaign manning the crease in Junior A, the 18-year-old goaltender was named both the CCHL's "Most Valuable Player" and the CJHL's "Rookie of the Year" after going 34-2-1 behind a 1.47 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and eight shutouts.
What he lacks in size, he makes up for in flexibility and puck-tracking - two attributes that were on full display at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge. Leading Canada East to a silver medal, he was named the tournament's MVP after posting a .917 save percentage over six appearances.
Making the jump to the NCAA, Levi will spend the 2020-21 season at Northeastern University.