Trade! Kraken Deal 25th Overall Pick for Panthers’ Mackie Samoskevich

The 2026 NHL Draft begins this Friday, June 26 with the first round in Buffalo, New York. With the Seattle Kraken holding two first round picks and three top-40 picks overall, it was a safe assumption that they would be making and fielding trade offers to better their team before the festivities kick off.

The first salvo has been fired ahead of next weekend’s draft. According to reports on Sunday, the Seattle Kraken traded their 25th overall pick this year and a second rounder next season to the Florida Panthers for the services of winger Mackie Samoskevich.

Seattle and Florida trade

To Kraken:
Mackie Samoskevich

To Panthers:
25th pick this year
Conditional second next year (either Columbus or Winnipeg pick)— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 21, 2026

What does the 2025 Stanley Cup champion bring to Seattle? ‍ ‍

After struggling to put the puck in the net last season, the Kraken certainly need an injection of offense. To this point, Samoskevich has not put together a prolific scoring season, with just 27 goals in his first two full seasons. However, at just 23 years old, it feels like there is another gear for the Connecticut native to unlock. Even without the gaudy goal totals, Samoskevich is a solid skater, proficient in tight spaces.

What might separate Samoskevich from other forwards on Seattle’s roster? His two-way ability. He has an active stick on the defensive side, ranking third on the Panthers with 136 hits last season.

‍According to HockeyStats.com, Samoskevich was above average in expected goals for and expected goals against when on the ice. He brings speed, skill, transition play, a right-handed shot, and two-way reliability the Kraken desperately need. As far as where he fits into the Seattle lineup, his arrival certainly this gives head coach Lane Lambert options. On paper, it makes sense for him to slide into the second line in the right-wing spot, likely just behind Jordan Eberle, who clearly is the top right-winger on the squad.

Additionally, Samoskevich played with Kraken standout Matty Beniers at Michigan, so this move interestingly brings some continuity and familiarity to the roster as well.

The move to get Samoskevich represents another effort for this organization to shake things up after missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons and conducting a much-publicized audit this offseason. When they acquired the additional first rounder from the Lightning two years ago that was just flipped to the Panthers, the organization hinted that they would use it as extra firepower to swing a trade. While Samoskevich isn’t exactly an All-Star household name, he brings an extra bit of juice to a roster that desperately needed it along with plenty of untapped upside.

What the Kraken cannot do is now rest, thinking their work is done to improve the roster. This still is not a playoff team. Re-signing Bobby McMann to pair with Samoskevich would be a huge boost to Seattle’s chances in the Western Conference. They still possess the No. 7 overall pick in the draft as well, with a huge chance to improve the trajectory of the franchise with the right selection.