It may just be three games into the season, but Florida Panthers' young forwards Mackie Samoskevich and Anton Lundell have shown they are capable of stepping into bigger roles. When Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov were announced to be out for an extended period, eyes immediately turned towards Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett, needing to elevate their game a step further. But for others, their eyes turned towards Samoskevich and Lundell. The attention placed on them is different from the attention placed on Reinhart and Bennett. For the older duo, it's pressure to step up without their elite linemates. For the younger duo, it's the excitement of what they can do in elevated roles. Through three games, the excitement has been warranted, each scoring at a point per game pace. Samoskevich has recorded a goal and three points, firing seven shots on goal and throwing eight hits. His ice time numbers are about the same as last season, but playing on the third line with Jesper Boqvist and Evan Rodrigues has given him more offensive opportunities. He's averaging 2:15 of power play time, where he's notched a goal and an assist. The Panthers' third line has had their issues defensively, giving up more high-danger chances than they've generated and owning a lower expected goal percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20252026&thruseason=20252026&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&stdoi=oi&rate=n&team=FLA&pos=S&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL]. But their speed has proved to be effective, and with more time, the analytics will likely balance out. Mackie Samoskevich (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fa80ab27-895a-4081-a191-337e74143aea.jpeg] Mackie Samoskevich (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images) Lundell has not produced any points at 5-on-5 just yet, but the Panthers are unsurprisingly a far better team with him on the ice. The Panthers own 69.02 percent of the expected goals, limiting high-danger chances against while producing plenty of their own (a 7-3 high-danger chances created advantage in favor of Florida). Both of Lundell's goals and his assist have come on the power play, but the 24-year-old has never had issues producing at even strength. When that production returns, combined with the power play efficiency, Lundell really could be in line for a massive season. As the season goes on, it's not far-fetched to think that Samoskevich and Lundell can continue to improve as they get acclimated to their new role. Although expecting them to produce at a point per game clip might be overzealous, their effect on the game should only improve. Panthers kick off five-game road trip in Philadelphia against winless Flyers [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c1b25bef-ec6a-4d6c-8893-814737e23646.jpeg] Panthers kick off five-game road trip in Philadelphia against winless Flyers Fresh off a strong three-game homestand in which the Florida Panthers collected all six possible points in the standings, the Cats are hitting the pavement for an extended road trip. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-kick-off-five-game-road-trip-in-philadelphia-against-winless-flyers]
