NHL draft lottery losers last year, the Panthers had their number come up this year.
The Panthers bucked the odds Tuesday by jumping up a spot and earned the right to the top pick in June. Florida, which finished 29th in the league, vaulted ahead of the last-place Sabres, who had the best odds of winning the lottery held in Toronto.
"It means a lot to us. We've very excited," said Travis Viola, Panthers president of hockey operations. "We're looking to continue to build on our core talent of young players. It's just a great opportunity."
Via ESPN.com