Florida Panthers' 2008 NHL Draft Dilemma: Pick or Trade?

The 2008 NHL draft could mark the end of Olli Jokinen's career as a Florida Panther. It is rumored that Panther's general manager Jacques Martin may be shopping around the star center.

The Panthers will have to make their 31st pick count because their next pick doesn't come until the late third round at 80th overall. The 2008 NHL draft has been been called the deepest draft since 2003, where Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal, and Nathan Horton were the first three picks.

The probability of drafting a prospect that is ready to play with the 31st pick is highly unlikely. This reinforces the rumors that GM Jacques Martin is shopping center Olli Jokinen for a higher pick and/or productive veterans.

It has become a sweepstakes for Jokinen as the number of interested teams increases. GM Jacques Martin has received numerous calls from interested teams for the acquisition of Finnish forward. The most interest seems to have come from Calgary.

There have been whispers of a package involving Calgary's Alex Tanguay to Florida in exchange for Jokinen. It is certain that Martin will also be asking for Calgary's 1st round pick (17th overall). If the Panthers cannot reach a trade, there are still numerous  prospects that could be productive in the NHL with some time in the minors.

The Panthers may consider picking center Evgeny Grachev, defenseman Michael Del Zotto, or possibly center Justin Azevedo, who was the winner of the OHL's most outstanding player award.

Evgeny Grachev has all the skills that a power forward should possess. Grachev has a 6'3 frame and scores most of his goals in front of the net on rebounds.

Michael Del Zotto has the skills of a very valuable puck moving defenseman, as he was ranked third overall in points among OHL defenseman with 63 points.

Justin Azevedo could be the scoring prospect the Panthers are looking for. He led the OHL in scoring under Peter DeBoer's coaching with the Kitchener Rangers.

The Panthers certainly have a big decision to make this weekend in the 2008 NHL Draft. Will they pick or will they trade?