Panthers go offense with first pick, take Lawson Crouse 11th overall
SUNRISE, Fla. -- For Lawson Crouse, the waiting was the hardest part.
The No. 4 overall player in ISS Hockey's final pre-draft rankings, the talented 18-year-old winger was expected to be selected within the first 10 picks of the 2015 NHL draft, but instead fell to the Florida Panthers, who happily scooped him up with the 11th pick.
"We are thrilled to have selected Lawson in front of our fans at BB&T Center," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "He is a strong, skilled and physically mature forward who possesses excellent character and led Kingston in points last season. Lawson is another building block for our team and we are confident that he will fit well with our young core of talented players that includes Aleksander Barkov, Nick Bjugstad, Aaron Ekblad and Jonathan Huberdeau. We look forward to his continued growth and contributions to our team and the South Florida community."
The night might not have gone exactly how he envisioned it, but Crouse said he's more than happy to be a part of the Panthers organization. He exudes an aura of confidence and maturity, refusing to lament his draft-day tumble and has instead chosen to turn his sights to the difficult journey ahead.
"It's just a number at the end of the day," said Crouse, wearing a Panthers jersey. "All the hard work starts now. Depending on where you go [in the draft], it doesn't mean anything, it's how hard you work from here on out."
With Crouse still on the board and the Panthers on the clock, Tallon admitted that his phone was ringing off the hook with teams looking to cut a deal in order to move up in the draft and select the gifted forward themselves.
In the end, Tallon didn't budge.
"We weren't trading," he said with a confident smile. "We're keeping that guy."
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Crouse is one of the more NHL-ready skaters in this year's draft and could crack the Panthers lineup as early as this season. He led the Ontario Hockey League's Kingston Frontenacs in goals (29) and points (51) in 56 games last season and will be expected to help improve a Panthers offense which scored the sixth-fewest goals in the league last season.
"I feel like I could fit in right away, but at the end of the day it comes down to what the Panthers have in mind for me," said Crouse, who boasts an NHL-caliber snapshot. "If I come ready to camp and ready to make this team, I think I'm going to make it difficult for them to send me home."
If Crouse does return to Kingston, however, it's not the end of the world.
After years of stockpiling draft picks, the Panthers now boast one of the league's deepest prospect pools and no longer feel the need to rush the development of their young players. And although the free agent departures of veteran forwards Scottie Upshall and Tomas Kopecky will open up two roster spots, there are a bevy of young forwards expected to be competing for them in training camp.
"When you're not ready, you're not ready," Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant said. "When you see kids come back, they're a little disappointed at first, but that experience in juniors is a lot like going through the American League, sometimes you're not ready at 18 years old. I think it'll be a great experience if he has to go back, but we'll see when the time comes."
The Panthers will get their first look at Crouse in a Panthers uniform at next week's development camp at their training facility in Coral Springs. The four-day camp should prove to be a good measuring stick for the Mt. Brydges, Ontario, native as top-forward prospect Rocco Grimaldi is also expected to be in attendance.
"I can't get enough ice time," Crouse said. "I'm ready to get back into the swing of things."
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
