Kraken acquire Mackie Samoskevich from Panthers, send No. 25 pick in 2026 Draft plus conditional 2027 second

The Seattle Kraken announced that they have acquired Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers in exchange for draft capital. The deal, made public June 21 and reported widely this week, sends Seattle the player while costing the Kraken the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in 2027.

The structure of the trade is notable because it concentrates value in the draft lottery position Seattle moved away from this summer. A pick at 25th overall typically represents an earlier first-round range prospect, and the additional conditional second in 2027 increases the long-term cost if the conditions are met. In return, Seattle receives Samoskevich, giving the Kraken another prospect asset that they can develop within their system.

For Florida, dealing Samoskevich indicates the Panthers’ willingness to convert a player asset into future flexibility. Trades of this kind often reflect how teams value their current prospect pipeline and how close they believe they are to being competitive in the next few seasons, particularly when paired with a specific first-round selection being part of the package.

For Seattle, adding a player from a division rival also fits the reality that NHL rosters are built through a mix of immediate help and longer-term development. Even without full public detail on role projections, the trade’s draft components suggest the Kraken were targeting a specific piece they believe they can grow, rather than simply swapping two mid-level assets.

What to watch next is whether Seattle’s development path for Samoskevich lines up with the timing of the Kraken’s broader pipeline decisions. The conditional nature of the 2027 second-round pick also means the final cost will depend on circumstances set out in the transaction terms, which fans will likely look for in later team or league documentation.

As always with draft-and-prospect trades, the short-term impact depends less on immediate on-ice results and more on how the organization evaluates and manages the player’s progression over time. Seattle will want Samoskevich’s development to justify the cost of moving away from the 2026 first-round selection spot and carrying a conditional future second-round commitment.