The Florida Panthers now know their draft position for the 2026 NHL Draft, set to begin June 26 in Buffalo—but whether they'll actually use the ninth overall pick remains a hot topic of debate.

Tuesday's NHL Draft Lottery brought mixed fortunes for the Panthers. They didn't win the lottery, but more notably, they slipped to No. 9 after the San Jose Sharks jumped from ninth to second overall. The Toronto Maple Leafs, meanwhile, secured the top pick. It's safe to assume both Toronto and San Jose will hold onto their selections.

Had the Panthers landed a top-two pick, they could have targeted a player ready to contribute immediately to their quest for a third Stanley Cup championship. But history shows that ninth overall picks are a mixed bag. Sure, Hall of Famers like Rod Brind'Amour, Brian Leetch, and Cam Neely were selected there, but many more players taken ninth have needed a longer development path to reach the NHL.

So, what should general manager Bill Zito do with this pick?

Speculation is rampant that Zito might use it as trade capital—and for good reason. He's traded every first-round pick the Panthers have had since selecting Mackie Samoskevich 24th overall in 2021. This year's pick only belongs to Florida because it landed in the top ten; it had already been traded to Chicago. Without a trade, this will be the Panthers' only first-round selection until 2029. Chicago gets next year's pick, and Boston receives Florida's 2028 first-rounder as part of the Brad Marchand deal.

But don't be surprised if the Panthers actually use this pick. Florida's amateur scouting has been outstanding this decade, consistently finding gems with whatever draft capital they've had. Samoskevich, for instance, is entering his third full NHL season after a standout career at the University of Michigan—proof that the Panthers know how to identify talent, even when picking later in the first round.