- Kraken acquire forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Panthers for a 2026 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 second
- The 23-year-old won a Cup with Florida in 2025 and can become a restricted free agent on July 1
- Read below for the trade details, GM Jason Botterill’s take, and what it means for both teams
The Kraken added a young Stanley Cup winner on Sunday. Seattle acquired forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Panthers in exchange for the 25th pick in this year’s draft and a conditional second-rounder in 2027.
That first-round pick originally belonged to Tampa Bay before Seattle picked it up. The second-rounder is the better of Winnipeg’s or Columbus’s selections in 2027.
Watch Seattle announce the move:
Samoskevich is coming off the best season of his career. The 23-year-old put up 32 points on 12 goals and 20 assists in 77 games, all personal bests. He also fired 161 shots and threw 136 hits along the way.
He won the Cup with Florida in 2025, part of the back-to-back run that finally ended this spring. The Panthers drafted him 24th overall in 2021.
Seattle GM Jason Botterill talked about why he chased the winger:
“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. 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.”
A familiar face will be waiting for him in the Pacific Northwest. Samoskevich and Kraken center Matty Beniers were teammates at Michigan back in 2021-22.
Here’s the league’s send-off:
One catch comes with the deal. Samoskevich can become a restricted free agent on July 1, so Seattle has to get him under contract. The Kraken have missed the playoffs in four of their five seasons, and a cheap, 23-year-old scorer is exactly the kind of swing they need to take.
On Florida’s end, the move is about the books. The Panthers are retooling after the injuries that wrecked their title defense, and they just heard Sergei Bobrovsky wants up to $42 million on his next deal. Flipping a pending RFA for two picks buys them some flexibility.
Catch Florida’s side of it:
Florida now holds two first-round picks (Nos. 9 and 27) and two seconds (Nos. 40 and 48) for the draft, which runs Friday and Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The retool is rolling.
