Per Report, Panthers' 2026 First-Round Pick Sent To Chicago In Seth Jones Trade Is Top-10 Protected

Some interesting new details have emerged regarding a past Florida Panthers trade.

This newly revealed development puts an interesting spin on the injury-filled season the Panthers have been attempting to battle through.

According to hockey insider Frank Seravalli, the 2026 first-round pick that Florida sent to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the trade for defenseman Seth Jones is actually top-10 protected.

What that means is that if the first-round pick that would belong to the Panthers in the upcoming draft ends up being in the top 10, they would keep the pick, and instead, their 2027 first-round selection would go to Chicago.

That would also mean that Florida’s 2028 first-round pick, which they actually still own at current time, would then go to the Boston Bruins, because Boston would be losing out on the 2027 first-round pick that they acquired from the Panthers in the Brad Marchand deal.

Of course, that domino effect could topple to 2029 if Florida GM Bill Zito makes a move at this year’s Trade Deadline that includes the Panthers’ 2028 top pick, but such a move could also potentially impact Florida finishing in the bottom nine of the league as it would likely include a dynamic player, bolstering an increasingly formidable lineup.

That’s one way to guarantee a top-10 pick before the lottery: finish among the worst nine teams in the league, since a team outside the top 10 winning the lottery would bump the teams behind it back a spot.

All 16 teams that fail to make the playoffs qualify for the NHL Draft Lottery, with the worst team having the best statistical chance of winning the lottery, the second-worst team having the second-best chance, and so on.

Currently, the Panthers hold the tenth-worst record, or the tenth-best chance of winning the lottery.