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. 

With a brief look, this seems exactly what the Panthers need. A veteran-laden roster can now add young, skilled prospects to a pool that is in short supply, but quietly, this gives the Panthers tradeable assets that could allow them to chase any of the available players this off-season. 

The Panthers seem destined to part ways with Sergei Bobrovsky, who is reportedly seeking a contract worth up to $42 million on a six or seven-year deal. For a soon-to-be 38-year-old goaltender, that will be too much for a contending team like the Panthers to pay. 

With limited high-end options on the UFA market, the attention turns towards the trade market for the Panthers. This is where the deal involving Samoskevich comes into play.

Connor Hellebuyck has been surfacing in plenty of rumors as of late, and there is plenty of traction linking the Panthers to the one-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time Vezina Trophy winner. 

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. 

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