Sandis Vilmanis

July 2024 – Vilmanis had an amazing second half of his season in the OHL after being traded to the North Bay Batallion. Scoring 28 goals and 39 points in just 30 regular season games is quite encouraging for the speedy Latvian. Then in the playoffs, Vilmanis was the most productive player on his North Bay by a fair margin scoring an impressive 27 points in 16 games. Vilmanis’ game thrives on north-south hockey where he utilizes his speed to his advantage and then gets a good shot off. Of Vilmanis’ offensive weapons, the shot has to be his most lethal being able to beat goaltenders that have clean looks. While his offensive game projects well to the NHL, his defensive game and engagement on the backcheck leave much to be desired. If there is something that holds Vilmanis back from making the NHL, it is likely his play away from the offensive zone. Vilmanis will likely get a look at Panthers training camp but is probably going to be headed to the AHL where he will further refine his 200-foot game. Look for Vilmanis to have a strong season in the AHL before potentially cracking the Panthers’ lineup in 2025-26. James Connelly

August 2023 – Vilmanis, 19, has raised his stocks since Florida took him in the fifth round a year ago by representing his native Latvia at several international tournaments. He stood out on an oft-outmatched team because of his slick puck handling and dangerous wrist shot, coming up with clutch goals and helping buoy his teammates against superior competition. Vilmanis spent last year adjusting to North American play in the OHL after coming up through the Swedish system, a move that brought him one step closer to wearing the Cat on his chest. He was a secondary scorer (45 points in 62 games) on a strong Sarnia team in 2022-23, showing some improvements in the weaker areas of his game, especially inconsistent engagement and slow processing speed. Panthers fans will be hoping their depth pick from 2022 takes another step forward in 2023-24 and continues to generate value for their relatively depleted pipeline. Ben Gehrels

May 2023 – Vilmanis has difficulty processing his options at full speed and slows down more out of necessity. That said, he performed well at the J20 level in Sweden in 2021-22, scoring 32 points in only 40 games, including 18 goals. A promising sign: most of his points were of the primary variety, meaning he was directly impacting play instead of benefitting by proxy via secondary assists. He then took his talents to the OHL, where he racked up a respectable 45 points in 62 games. Vilmanis is the kind of player who thrives with the extra space to work with on a powerplay. He will likely re-up with Sarnia for the 2023-24 campaign, which will give Panthers brass a clearer idea of what they have in him. Ben Gehrels