Kraken acquire Mackie Samoskevich in trade with Panthers

Kate Shefte, The Seattle Times on Jun 21, 2026

Published in Hockey

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SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken made their first deal of the summer Sunday, acquiring 23-year-old forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers.

Seattle paid Florida’s high price and dipped far into their draft capital, sending over both a first- and second-round draft pick. The first-rounder is the 2026 one they acquired from Tampa Bay at the 2025 trade deadline for Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the second-rounder is in 2027 and conditional. It will become the higher selection of the second-round picks Seattle got from Winnipeg and Columbus in trades.

The new recruit will need a new contract soon. He’s a restricted free agent this summer. He last signed a one-year deal with a cap hit of $775,000. He shares his agency, Bartlett Hockey, with pending Kraken unrestricted free agents Jaden Schwartz and Bobby McMann.

This looks like unfinished business for the Kraken. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman linked the young player with Seattle several months ago, but a deal never materialized then.

Samoskevich put up 32 points (12 goals) in 77 regular-season games with the Panthers last year, which was only his second full NHL season.

Samoskevich is 5-foot-11 and a native of Newtown, Conn. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the first round (24th overall) of the 2021 NHL draft. Samoskevich spent two years at the University of Michigan and played with Seattle top-line center Matty Beniers in 2021-22.

“Mackie is a talented young player who we are excited to bring into the fold,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said in a team release. “He has speed, skill and scoring ability. A Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers in 2025, Mackie’s a player who can contribute offensively and add a spark to our lineup.”

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