Florida Panthers
Kraken and Panthers Make a Trade, Mackie Samoskevich Going to Seattle
Florida Panthers trade Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken for a first-round pick and conditional second for next year.
The Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken made a trade on Sunday. It has been confirmed that Seattle is getting forward Mackie Samoskevich, and going back to the Panthers is the 25th pick this year, a conditional second next year (either Columbus or Winnipeg pick). From the Kraken, the condition is that Panthers get the higher second-rounder.
Samoskevich, a 23-year-old RFA, had 12 goals and 20 assists, for 32 points in 77 games played this season for the Panthers.
That feels like a relatively modest haul for a 23-year-old first-round winger with long-term RFA control. A mid-first and a conditional second suggest Florida may have had real concerns about re-signing him this summer, especially given the contract drama last offseason. The 25th pick is solid but not elite, and a conditional second from either Columbus or Winnipeg isn’t blowing anyone away. The Kraken still have a No. 7 overall pick for the first round of the draft next Friday.
The Panthers may try to flip the pick from this trade into a bigger summer deal that could take place around the NHL Entry Draft. They’ve been linked in rumors to both Dylan Larkin from the Detroit Red Wings and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
Why The Kraken Added Samoskevich
This is a fairly low-risk, high-upside acquisition for the Kraken. Samoskevich is only 23, was a first-round pick, and his underlying numbers suggest the offensive struggles this year were largely bad shooting luck — he was firing shots at a brutal 4.7% rate, which is almost certainly going to improve.
“For me, there’s the fact that, at such a young age, he’s been able to win a Stanley Cup already, and he’s been a part of a very successful organization in Florida,” Kraken GM Jason Botterill said. “I just love his age, love his speed, and I love his shot. So, I think he’ll fit in very well with the style of play that we’re trying to play on an everyday basis here.”
“You’re just trying to give options to (coach) Lane (Lambert) and the coaching staff,” Botterill added. “We pride ourselves on being a four-line team, so I’ll leave it up to Lane and the coaching staff on where Mackie fits into the mix and stuff. But we think that – especially with that right shot – we’ve talked a lot about getting more pucks to the net, more of a shooter mentality, and that’s certainly what Mackie brings.”
He and Matty Beniers were teammates at Michigan, and Seattle didn’t have to move Shane Wright to get this done either. If Samoskevich reaches his 20-goal potential in Seattle, this could be a win. He’ll get more opportunity than he would have in Florida, where it is believed the Panthers might be working to clear room and potential salary to make a bigger splash this summer.
Next: Maple Leafs Made a Decision They Wouldn’t Make Before
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