MEET THE PANTHERS:

Who: Mike Matheson, defenseman
How acquired: First round, 23rd overall
Age, hometown: 18; Pointe-Claire, Quebec
Scouting report: The 6-foot-1 defenseman is off to national power Boston College in the fall and should play at least two seasons with the Eagles. Matheson is a good skater and has some zip to his shot.


Who: Steven Hodges
How acquired: Third round, 84th overall
Age, hometown: 18; Delta, British Columbia
Scouting report: Hodges is a good sized center with a sense of scoring as he put in 21 goals for Victoria of the Western Hockey League this past season.


Who: Alexander Delnov, left wing
How acquired: Fourth round, 114th overall
Age, hometown: 18; Moskva, Russia
Scouting report: Delnov only scored 11 goals for his junior team in Russia this season, but he played well at the under-18 World Championships where he caught Florida's attention.


Who: Francis Beauvillier, left wing/center
How acquired: Sixth round, 174th overall
Age, hometown: 18; Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
Scouting report: The Panthers feel Beauvillier will get better as he gets stronger although they like his decision making and play on both ends of the ice.


Who: Jonatan Nielsen, defenseman
How acquired: Seventh round (via trade with Dallas), 194th overall
Age, hometown: 18; Anderstorp, Sweden
Scouting report: At 6-3, Nielsen has good size although he's not looked at to put up many points offensively. He is good with the stick, however, and could develop.