Panthers trade former first round pick Matthew Samoskevich on Sunday.

The Florida Panthers are going back to the drawing board.

On Sunday, National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news that the Panthers had dealt former first round draft pick Matthew Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a pair of upcoming draft selections. The Panthers will receive the Kraken's first round pick at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, a pick that is 25th overall in the draft, as well as a conditional second round pick at the 2027 NHL Entry Draft. The Kraken currently have a second round pick that previously belonged to the Winnipeg Jets as well as one that previously belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Panthers will receive whichever of those is the higher of the two.

To recap:

Panthers receive:
2026 1st round pick (25th overall)
Conditional second round pick (Winnipeg or Columbus)

Kraken receive:
Matthew Samoskevich

In Samoskevich the Kraken are getting a 23 year old forward who was the 24th overall selection at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has now played the better part of two full seasons in the NHL. Over his 156 game career, Samoskevich has 27 goals and 36 assists for a total of 63 points. He has played relatively limited minutes since being drafted, averaging just 13 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time per game over his career, and could very well flourish in an increased role with the Kraken moving forward.

Determining a winner in this deal will depend entirely on how much value the Panthers can get out of their two new draft picks.