SUNRISE, Fla. - Just over a month the job and Bill Zito already has his plate full.
Of course, that's just the way the new Florida Panthers general manager likes it.
With the 2020 NHL Draft and the NHL's free agency period both set to get underway this week, Zito, despite likely spending more time texting than sleeping since his hiring last month, couldn't help but smile when talking to reporters via Zoom on Monday afternoon from the BB&T Center.
Zito on 1st Draft with Panthers: 'It's an Exciting Time'
"It's really great," Zito said from the team's war room at the arena. "If you like hockey, you can't help but love draft preparation, talking about free agency, evaluating players. We're still building a team. It's a little weird not being able to meet the players and not having our team."
"It's October and we're not playing games. That's really strange, but the NHL Draft and all things surrounding it, for people that love the sports, it's an exciting time. It's hectic no matter where you are. It's hectic no matter however you prepare for it. But it's exciting. It's a lot of fun."
After being rescheduled from June due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's draft will be held digitally rather than in Montreal as the NHL had originally intended. Round 1 will begin on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Rounds 2-7 following on Wednesday starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Coverage of Round 1 can be found on NBC Sports Network and 560 WQAM.
By virtue of their 35-26-8 record during the 2019-20 regular season, the Panthers will enter the draft with the 12th overall pick in Round 1. Overall, the organization is currently in possession of eight selections at the annual event, including a pair of picks in both the third and fourth rounds.
A complete list of Florida's picks is as follows:
- 1st Round: 12th overall
- 2nd Round: 43rd overall
- 3rd Round: 74th overall
- 3rd Round: 87th overall (via Colorado)
- 4th Round: 95th overall (via Ottawa)
- 4th Round: 105th overall
- 5th Round: 137th overall (via Toronto)
- 7th Round: 198th overall
Like pretty much everything else in the world, the scouting process heading into the draft has also been greatly affected by the pandemic. With junior leagues shutting down in March, there were no end-of-season tournaments or NHL combine for players to make one last impression.
In place of those events, Zoom interviews have reigned supreme among front offices around the league. And although it's not quite the same, Zito believes these conversations allowed him to get a "feel for a person," adding that there's also more to these interviews than meets the eye.
"I can tell you that there is science behind it," Zito said. "We'll certainly be integrating a lot of that moving forward here in Florida. Some of it is cutting edge and remarkable. Some of the things you can do with just interviews and personality tests, I'll stop short of saying mind-blowing because it's technology that's used every day in a lot of industry. It's pretty neat. It's really cool."
While Zito and the Panthers have their plan of attack ready, this lack of film has led to a large discrepancy among pundits around the league as to which player could end up being picked by the Panthers at No. 12. As of right now, a few names that keep popping up in mock drafts are forwards Seth Jarvis and Anton Lundell, and defensemen Braden Schneider and Kaiden Guhle.
To view all these mock drafts in one place, check out our compilation HERE.
Following the draft, the NHL's free agency period will officially open on Friday at 12 p.m. ET.
When asked about his overall plans for the offseason, Zito said that things can change quickly. If one move doesn't pan out, he'll pivot quickly to another. Whereas if a move does work out, it can set off a chain reaction that will then affect how he constructs the rest of the team's roster.
But if there's one thing Zito has already shown fans, it's that he's going to be relentless when it comes to making changes in order to improve the outlook of the Panthers. In just over a month, he's already made several new hires, prepared for the draft, and made a pair of savvy trades.
And with two big events coming up this week, Zito is about to make his mark on the franchise.
"For me, it's just wait, be very patient and react to what our team needs are and what's out there because you really don't know," Zito said. "There's always surprises. We'll address our team needs in a prudent fashion. I've been saying that since the day I got here."
