FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers traded forward Mackie Samoskevich, 23, to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday in a deal that netted a first and a second round selection — then promptly shipped that first-round pick to the Ottawa Senators as part of the Brady Tkachuk blockbuster, leaving the franchise without a first-round draft pick until 2030.
Samoskevich holds the distinction of being the last player taken in the first round of the NHL draft by the Panthers, Florida Hockey Now reported. The Panthers also sent Ottawa a first-round pick in 2029, meaning the club will not select in the opening round for at least four more drafts barring another trade.
“A lot of emotions [Sunday],” Samoskevich said, “but it always ended with excitement because I knew I was going to a good situation, a good team. It definitely was a team I didn’t like playing against. Definitely pumped.”
The move to Seattle reunites Samoskevich with former Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour and center Matty Beniers, his former teammate at the University of Michigan. His twin sister Maddy Samoskevich was drafted by the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes last year and plays in British Columbia, just up the road from Seattle.
“I’ll be able to see her a little more,” he said, “which will be great.”
Samoskevich is due a new contract after taking the minimum $750,000 from the cap-strapped Panthers last summer. Given what the Kraken surrendered to acquire him — a first and a second round selection — a new deal is expected to come together without difficulty, according to Florida Hockey Now.
The Panthers head into the NHL Draft in Buffalo with no picks in the first round and six selections overall. NHL free agency opens July 1, with Panthers Development Camp scheduled for late June or early July at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale and the 2026-27 NHL season set to open in late September.