Kraken Acquire Mackie Samoskevich From Panthers

Even though the big news in the NHL on June 21 was the Florida Panthers trading with the Ottawa Senators for Brady Tkachuk, they did make another trade that morning as well. The Panthers traded forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken. In exchange, Florida received a 1st-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 2nd-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Samoskevich was drafted in the first round, 24th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft. He played two seasons at the University of Michigan, where he appeared in 79 games and recorded 72 points. At the end of the 2022-23 season, he played two games with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Charlotte Checkers. From there, his NHL career began to blossom. 

In 2023-24, he played his first NHL game on Oct. 12, 2023. He only played in seven NHL games that season, three in October and four in January. He spent the majority of his time with the Checkers, playing in 62 games and recording 54 points. 

By the 2024-25 season, Samoskevich was playing in the NHL full-time. He played 72 games and recorded 31 points. His first NHL point was an assist, recorded on Oct. 17, 2024. Four games later, he scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 26, 2024, against the New York Islanders. He also played in four games in the playoffs and recorded one assist, helping the Panthers raise the Stanley Cup for the second consecutive season. 

Last season, Samoskevich continued playing with the Panthers, spending another full season in Florida. He played 77 games and recorded 32 points, which currently stands as his career-high points total. 

Samoskevich was a key member of the Panthers’ bottom six, often playing on the fourth line. Even though he is a younger player, he will provide a great veteran presence to the fourth line of the Kraken as they try to incorporate younger players onto the team. Players such as Berkly Catton and Jacob Melanson can learn from his experience. 

On top of this, having another player who has lifted the Stanley Cup, and much more recently than some of the other players on the Kraken, will be a great morale booster and help to foster a winning culture.