Panthers trade forward Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle. The details, return
The Florida Panthers have made their first big move of the offseason.
The Panthers on Sunday traded forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken for the 25th overall pick in this week’s NHL draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 draft. The conditional pick will be the higher selection of the Winnipeg Jets or Columbus Blue Jackets.
Florida now has four of the top 48 picks in the draft, which takes place Friday and Saturday: Nos. 9 and 25 in the first round and Nos. 40 and 48 in the second round.
Samoskevich, 23, was Florida’s first-round pick in 2021 and was a regular in the lineup for the past two seasons. In 156 career games, Samoskevich has totaled 27 goals and 63 points. He had 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games last season, including logging nine points (six goals, three assists) over his final 10 games.
Samoskevich is a restricted free agent and was due for a relatively sizable payday after playing on a league minimum deal of $775,000 last season. His name had been connected to trade rumors over the past few weeks with Florida being among teams linked to veterans such as Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck who are reportedly seeking to be dealt.
At his best, he has potential to be a top-six winger, with a strong shot and speed down the wings that could benefit a contender and be a boon to a team’s power play. But overall, Samoskevich was streaky during his Panthers tenure and struggled to finish plays.
While Samoskevich isn’t directly involved in a deal that nets Florida either of those players — or another potential star — the draft capital the Panthers acquired could be used to sweeten a deal further down the road.
This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 12:59 PM.
.JPG)