Kraken's Samoskevich Acquisition Opens Possibilities For Massive Panthers Trade
On Sunday, the Florida Panthers and the Seattle Kraken completed a trade, as the Panthers sent 23-year-old winger Mackie Samoskevich to the Kraken in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
The deal sees the Kraken add a much-needed skilled right winger who can instantly play in their top six, while for the Panthers, it allows them to sell high on a young player who was virtually never going to earn the role he is worthy of playing on their roster.
In the process, the Panthers, a team that was recently considered strapped for trade assets, now own two 2026 first-round picks, including the ninth overall pick, as well as a pair of second-rounders in 2026 and 2027.
If The Panthers Want To Go All In, Trading For Jets' Connor Hellebuyck Is The Move To Make
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck could become a subject of trade talks in the off-season, and if he does, the Florida Panthers could make their bold move by trading for the Team USA star.
GM Bill Zito has shown zero fear when pulling the trigger on big trades. He's done so with Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Seth Jones, and if he feels like Hellebuyck is the man for Florida, he won't hesitate.
Prior to this Samoskevich trade, the Panthers likely would have had to trade a big-name player to make a deal work, but with the draft capital they now own, they could keep their roster intact while making a trade.
Also, the Panthers will have room for Hellebuyck as they have over $15 million in salary cap space, according to puckpedia.com.
In addition to Hellebuyck, the Panthers have had links to goaltenders like St. Louis Blues' Jordan Binnington, New Jersey Devils' Jacob Markstrom and Detroit Red Wings' Sebastian Cossa.
But the Panthers aren't only linked to goaltenders. Dylan Larkin picked the Panthers as one of his desired trade destinations, and other players like Elias Pettersson, Vincent Trocheck, or Darnell Nurse could be names the Panthers consider.
All in all, on the surface, this trade for the Panthers seems like tidy business, but if the Panthers complete a trade that alters the NHL, we could look back on this move as an influential decision.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Copyright The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd.
This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 2:49 PM.