The Florida Panthers made a significant change to their lineup on Sunday when the team completed a trade with the Seattle Kraken.

In the trade, the Panthers gave up promising forward Mackie Samoskevich. In return, Florida received Seattle’s first-round draft pick for 2026 and a conditional second-round draft pick for 2027.

23-year-old Samoskevich is the Panthers’ first-round pick from the summer of 2021, when the team selected the forward with the 24th overall pick.

The young American broke into the NHL lineup permanently during the recently concluded season. Samoskevich played 77 regular-season games and recorded 12 goals and 20 assists for a total of 32 points.

The Kraken’s interest in the forward did not come as a surprise. According to sources, Seattle attempted to acquire Samoskevich during the trade deadline of the previous season, but at that time, the teams could not reach an agreement on the terms of the trade.

Also influencing the situation is Samoskevich’s contract status. The forward’s entry-level contract expires this summer, and the value of his next NHL contract is estimated to rise to around five million dollars per season.

Ultimately, the Panthers decided to turn the young forward’s future into draft capital.

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