Kraken Interested In Mackie Samoskevich
The Kraken have contacted the Panthers about the availability of winger Mackie Samoskevich, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
While Seattle has been shopping around a young forward of their own in Shane Wright, they’re not looking to leverage him in these talks, Friedman adds. They’re still putting him forth in discussions with other clubs but prefer to use him as part of a package for a more established scoring threat, not in a one-for-one swap.
It’s hard to see why Florida would be chomping at the bit to make Samoskevich available unless there’s a concern they won’t be able to sign him this summer. The Kraken have made clear their intentions to add, not subtract, at this year’s deadline as they find themselves in playoff position, so it doesn’t appear they’d be shipping a roster player back to the Panthers in the deal, either.
While Samoskevich likely hasn’t had the year the Cats hoped for, he still has the highest ceiling of any under-25 player in their system. Selected 24th overall in 2021, the 5’11” righty is now 23 years old in just his second NHL season. The high-energy winger ended up as mostly an extra forward on their Cup run, but was an excellent depth contributor in the regular season, tallying 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games.
Florida looked to give Samoskevich more minutes this year, especially with Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov absent from their top six to start the year. While he’s gotten a small bump in ice time to over 14 minutes per game, his production has actually taken a step back. He’s clicking with a 6-15–21 scoring line through 59 appearances, a dropoff from 0.43 points per game last season to 0.36. A lot of that has to do with a string of horrid finishing. He’s already topped last year’s shots on goal total but is shooting at just 4.7%, so there’s serious positive regression potential there.
The Panthers already had fits trying to get a new deal done for Samoskevich last summer after his entry-level pact expired. He accepted a one-year, league-minimum pact with no leverage – he was a 10.2(c) RFA who was ineligible to receive and sign offer sheets. That’s no longer the case this summer, though, and he’ll be eligible for arbitration as well. Florida has nearly $15.5MM in cap space for this summer, with the rising upper limit, but that’s with five roster spots to fill and both of their goaltenders heading for unrestricted free agency. That’s limited enough to make Samoskevich an offer sheet threat.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Cats are setting what Friedman calls a “high price.” Florida doesn’t have a first-round pick again until 2028, so unless they offload a significant asset in the meantime, they won’t be getting a young forward of his caliber back in the system anytime soon. With Seattle boasting four first-round picks in the next two drafts, they’ve got the draft capital to dangle, plus one of the league’s better prospect pools, to help the Cats restock their cupboards while helping Seattle push the envelope in developing some higher-ceiling scoring options.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Jeff Petry
The Minnesota Wild are adding a veteran presence to their backend ahead of the playoffs. According to a team announcement, the Wild have acquired Jeff Petry from the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick.
Included in Minnesota’s announcement were the conditions on the draft pick. If the Wild make it to the Western Conference Final, and Petry plays in 50% or more of the Wild’s playoff games heading into the Western Conference Final, the pick will upgrade to Minnesota’s fifth-round pick this season.
At this stage of his career, Petry, 38, is only fit for a depth role. This season, his first with the Panthers, he was relegated to a bottom-pairing role. Throughout the year, he has tallied eight assists in 58 games with a -10 rating, averaging 14:51 of ice time.
That’s largely what he turned into during his time with the Detroit Red Wings. Before moving to Sunrise, Petry spent two years in HockeyTown, scoring four goals and 32 points in 117 games. Unlike his time with the Panthers, Petry was typically in Detroit’s top-two defensive pairings.
Given his play with the Red Wings, it was no question why Petry had to settle for a one-year, league minimum contract last summer. Playing next to Ben Chiarot for much of last season, the pair finished with the lowest xGoals% in the league (for pairings that had played 400 or more minutes together) with a 41.3% output.
That trend has continued with Florida. According to Moneypuck, the combination of Uvis Balinskis and Petry has combined for a 46.6% xGoals% this season, ranking 65th out of 83 defensive pairings that have played 300 or more minutes together.
That makes the move more peculiar on Minnesota’s end. The team already had seven defensemen on the active roster before the trade and had multiple defensive assets in the AHL that have already played this season. At any rate, instead of spending potentially his last season in the NHL with a team outside of a playoff spot, Petry will have the opportunity to compete for the first Stanley Cup of his career.
A.J. Greer Generating Trade Interest
- In a separate report from Weekes, the former netminder shared that Brandon Duhaime of the Washington Capitals and A.J. Greer of the Florida Panthers are drawing interest as potential bottom-six options. Each forward is incredibly physical and can chip in offensively when needed. Greer has had the better year between the two, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games with 159 hits.
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Panthers Waive Tobias Bjornfot, Louis Domingue
The Panthers have placed defender Tobias Björnfot on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Charlotte, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Florida also waived goalie Louis Domingue after signing him to a two-way deal earlier today. The former’s demotion will open a roster spot for the Cats to activate either winger Jonah Gadjovich or defenseman Seth Jones, both of whom are close to a return, from long-term injured reserve.
Initially claimed off waivers from the Golden Knights in 2023-24, Björnfot subsequently re-signed with Florida last summer on a two-way deal and continues to be rewarded with a good bit of recall action. Florida recalled Björnfot at the start of January after Jones’ upper body injury and, after sitting as a healthy scratch for several games, finally got a start as their #3 lefty over Donovan Sebrango and stuck in the lineup for a good stretch. He missed some time last month with an undisclosed injury but has since returned.
Through 11 games, Björnfot was the ideal no-fuss replacement piece. The former first-round pick of the Kings posted a pair of goals and an assist while recording a +4 rating, averaging just 11:33 per game. The smooth-skating rearguard had eight hits and posted great possession metrics in his sheltered minutes, controlling 61.7% of shot attempts at even strength.
Florida will hope to retain the 24-year-old through the waiver process. Considering his limited NHL utility over the past few seasons, it’s unlikely a team looking to add on the blue line will use a roster spot on him right now, so they should be able to retain him. He’ll be a restricted free agent again this summer so Florida still has first right of refusal on his signing rights.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to get him re-upped on another two-way deal, potentially with a higher guarantee than the $450K one he’s on now. He’s been a great defensive conscience in Charlotte’s top four over the past two years and has shown to be a reliable insurance option in the #8 slot or so on their defensive depth chart.
Panthers Sign Louis Domingue To Two-Way Contract
The Panthers announced they’ve signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a two-way contract for the remainder of the season. Financial terms were not disclosed. If they want to assign him back to AHL Charlotte, where he’d been playing on a minor-league deal, they’ll need to place him on waivers. If they do so today, he won’t count against their active roster.
Domingue, 33, headed overseas for the first time in his pro career to begin this season. After posting a .892 SV% in 11 games with Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, he obtained a release and signed an AHL deal with Charlotte around Thanksgiving.
The veteran of 10 NHL seasons has appeared sparingly for Charlotte, notching an .831 SV% and 3.20 GAA in seven outings with a 3-3-0 record. He’s gone long stretches without dressing and has suited up just four times since the New Year. At present, he’s essentially fifth on Florida’s goaltending depth chart behind NHLers Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, AHL starter Cooper Black, and AHL backup Kirill Gerasimyuk, with the latter two also signed to NHL deals.
It’s not uncommon for teams to sign an additional goalie during deadline week to have them on hand to roster as their emergency backup during the playoffs. Florida did it several times in the past few years with Evan Cormier. The Cats are now slipping from playoff contention, however, and reportedly decided to pivot toward selling off their pending UFAs this morning. It’s more likely that Domingue is insurance to keep having four goalies under contract in case the Panthers decide to deal Bobrovsky or Tarasov, both of whom will hit the open market this summer.
Panthers Listening On Sergei Bobrovsky, A.J. Greer
The Panthers’ resounding 5-1 loss to the Devils last night dropped them to 14th in the Eastern Conference and 10 points out of a playoff spot, leaving their postseason chances at just 0.5%. That’s led them to broadcast to the league this morning that their pending UFAs are available for sale as rentals – most notably future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Depth forwards A.J. Greer, Tomáš Nosek, defenseman Jeff Petry, and backup netminder Daniil Tarasov are the Cats’ other soon-to-be free agents on the active roster, although LeBrun only mentioned Greer by name.
It’s a stunning but prudent reversal from the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, who have simply been too hampered by injuries this season to make a fourth straight run to the Final, even if they did manage to squeak into a wild-card spot. While Bobrovsky is one of the more decorated netminders of this era with a pair of Vezinas, Cups, and All-Star nods each, he hasn’t done much to drag his club along, either.
He’s still their clear-cut starter in terms of usage, starting 42 games compared to Tarasov’s 19, and has a superior winning percentage to his #2 option. Tarasov has better individual statistics across the board, though, and Bobrovsky has been a bottom-five starting option by most every measure. Among the 33 goalies with at least 28 games played, Bobrovsky ranks 29th in goals against average (3.13), 32nd in save percentage (.873), and 31st in goals saved above expected (-15.9, per MoneyPuck).
That’s led to a reported gap in extension talks between the Cats and the man who backstopped them to their first two championships in franchise history. If Florida were still in any sort of playoff contention, that wouldn’t matter; they’d keep him in the fold and hope to work out a deal after the season ended. But with Bobrovsky now in his age-37 season with a career-worst showing, the Panthers are likely opening themselves up to the idea of parting ways with Bobrovsky this year, one way or another. With little hope of a postseason berth, they might as well get something for him.
This is all assuming there’s a market for goaltending help at the deadline at all. The Blues are also making similarly struggling starter Jordan Binnington available, saturating an already slim list of teams that may have a want or need for either. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported this morning that “many people I talk to around the league are skeptical that Bobrovsky would be traded, even as the Panthers fall out of the playoff race,” due in part to no team making a documented, aggressive push for a goalie so far.
Perhaps Greer, more typical trade deadline fourth-line rental fodder in line with the Wild picking up Michael McCarron and the Knights landing Cole Smith from the Predators last night, is a far more likely name to be on the move. The 29-year-old is a career enforcer type but has seen an elevation in ice time this season with all of Florida’s forward injuries. He’s responded with a career year, netting 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games with a 14.1% shooting rate and 159 hits.
Considering Nashville just netted a second-round pick for McCarron, who’s posted far less impressive offensive impacts this season but does carry added value as a strong-on-draws center, the Panthers could be in line to land a similar pick for Greer. Nosek just came off LTIR to make his season debut after a lengthy recovery period from knee surgery, so he won’t be landing anything above a mid-to-late-round selection if there’s even any interest. Petry’s struggled with just eight assists and a -10 rating in 58 outings this season, but should have a few callers, simply by virtue of him being a right-shot D-man with over 1,000 games of NHL experience.
As for Tarasov, it would be surprising to see him moved. The Cats are presumably focusing on an extension with him, potentially even making him their starting option next season in the increasingly likely event Bobrovsky isn’t brought back. That’s especially amid a weak free agent class, in which Tarasov’s .903 SV% this season leads the pack among goalies with double-digit starts.
Panthers To Activate Tomas Nosek From LTIR
Panthers center Tomáš Nosek will draw into the lineup tonight against the Devils, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters, including the team’s Jameson Olive. He’ll need to come off long-term injured reserve to make his season debut, but that will be a smooth move after Luke Kunin cleared waivers yesterday and headed to AHL Charlotte, which opened up a roster spot.
Nosek, 33, was close to testing free agency last summer after initially signing with the Cats in 2024, serving as a fringe fourth-line option in their second of back-to-back Stanley Cups. On the morning of July 1, he opted to stay in South Florida on a one-year, league minimum deal. With the Panthers losing Nico Sturm in free agency, he was expected to step back in as their full-time fourth-line option down the middle. That all changed when Nosek didn’t report to training camp due to what the team called a significant offseason knee injury that required surgery, saying he would miss several months.
While several months turned into nearly the entire regular season, Nosek will get back into the fold for the stretch run before having the chance to test free agency again in July. The veteran of nearly 500 games suited up 59 times for the Cats last year, recording a goal and nine points with a +4 rating while averaging 9:49 of ice time per game.
The Czech pivot has never been anything more than a bottom-of-the-lineup piece, but is a well-respected role player who saw significant shorthanded deployment earlier in his career, particularly in his two-year run with the Bruins from 2021-23. He averages seven goals and 19 points per 82 games for his career – along with 92 hits – and is quite strong in the dot at 54.0%.
With Florida now needing a miracle to break through a crowded East wild-card race, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Nosek flipped for a depth pick if a contender has interest. If not, he’ll be a much-needed additional veteran piece to aid an ailing Florida bottom-six group that’s without Jonah Gadjovich and Cole Schwindt.
Panthers’ Luke Kunin Clears Waivers
3/2: St. Louis has lost Fabbri to a waiver claim from the Minnesota Wild, while Kunin has cleared waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Kunin has now been assigned to the AHL.
3/1: Today has become a busy day on the wire, as the St. Louis Blues have waived forward Robby Fabbri, and the Florida Panthers placed Luke Kunin on waivers. Both were reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Fabbri and Kunin are both former first round picks with at least 450 games of NHL experience, although they’ve become journeymen at this stage in their careers.
For Fabbri, the news is not much of a surprise, as Robert Thomas was activated from injured reserve earlier today. A top prospect of the Blues a decade ago, Fabbri found himself back where he started, signing a one year deal worth $775k back in December. The agreement came after the 30-year-old’s unsuccessful PTO bid with the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with a brief tryout agreement with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Since then, Fabbri appeared in 15 games with St. Louis, finding the back of the net once to go with three assists.
The Ontario native netted 18 goals in 68 games just two years ago as a Red Wing, but his 18.6% shooting percentage was never thought to be sustainable. Fabbri continues to have lackluster possession metrics at even strength, currently at the 45.5% mark.
With such a low cap hit, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, but a claim seems unlikely. If that’s the case, Fabbri will head to AHL Springfield, a league which impressively, the veteran has played just nine games in his career, otherwise in the NHL. He still offers organizational depth, but the 31st ranked Blues are in a position where playing younger players is in their best interest. If this is the beginning of the end for Fabbri in the NHL, he’s had an impressive 457 game career with 220 points, and his name on the Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, Kunin also brings a very reasonable $775k cap hit which expires this summer. Once a first rounder of the Minnesota Wild with top six upside, the Missouri native has become a fourth liner with gritty attributes, as he has just four points in 44 games. He caught on with the reigning champions last August to provide depth, which has been needed, considering the team’s glut of injuries this year.
After some solid play with Nashville from 2020-22, Kunin was sent to San Jose. Over the next three seasons wearing teal, Kunin got to enjoy a larger role and help lead on a rebuilding Sharks squad. However, he never recorded more than 18 points, and fully embraced a more physical brand of hockey.
Between Fabbri and Kunin, the latter seems to be more likely of a claim. Players in Kunin’s mold are often targeted by buyers at this time of year. At last year’s trade deadline, Kunin was dealt to Columbus for a fourth round pick. His stock hasn’t improved after unremarkable play as a Panther this year, but teams will have the chance to bring in the 28-year-old with a minimal cap hit for nothing in return, and he could benefit from a fresh start.
Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Panthers Activate Dmitry Kulikov
The Panthers welcomed back a veteran blueliner to their lineup for tonight’s game against the Islanders. Prior to puck drop, the team announced that Dmitry Kulikov was activated off long-term injured reserve. To make room on the roster, winger Cole Schwindt was placed on injured reserve.
Kulikov has been a steadying piece of Florida’s back end since joining them for the 2023-24 season. Last season, he logged more than 19 minutes a night during the regular season while suiting up in every game in their Stanley Cup run, playing heavy defensive minutes along the way.
Unfortunately for them, Kulikov suffered an upper-body injury in the second game of this season back in October and has been out of the lineup since then. With Seth Jones still out on their back end, Kulikov will be counted on to play a big role defensively once again once he’s up to speed from a conditioning standpoint.
With his activation, Florida’s LTIR pool is now shrunk by Kulikov’s $1.15MM AAV. Per PuckPedia, they have a little over $1.4MM available to them in spending, and that’s with Jones, Aleksander Barkov, Jonah Gadjovich, and Tomas Nosek all on there. That amount will go up by $775K on Monday when Luke Kunin, who is currently on waivers, is either claimed or sent to the minors.
The pool could be expanded a little more if the team needs additional flexibility as Schwindt is expected to be out long-term as well. The 24-year-old suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday against Toronto and has three goals and one assist in 22 games this season. He needs to play in eight more games this season (between regular season and the playoffs, should Florida find a way to squeak in) for Florida to retain his RFA rights. If not, he’ll become a Group Six unrestricted free agent in July.
Latest On Seth Jones
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this afternoon’s action in Pittsburgh and did not return. After the game head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters, including SinBin.vegas, it was upper-body, with no real update until tomorrow.
It seemed to be an innocuous play, where Kris Letang simply bumped into him for position in the neutral zone, but Stone went to the bench immediately. His day ended after just 6:06 on the ice. It’s not clear at this time if the ailment is related to his wrist issue which has bothered the star throughout the season.
When healthy, the 33-year-old has continued to play at an elite level, with 60 points in just 42 games. Already placed on LTIR once earlier this year, as well as in the past, it will be curious to see what comes next for the veteran with the trade deadline looming.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Panthers defenseman Seth Jones was spotted this morning at practice in a regular jersey, per Jameson Olive, Director of Digital Platforms for the team. The 31-year-old is working his way back from his upper-body injury which happened during the Winter Classic and has now shed the non-contact jersey. Unfortunately, the ailment cost the Texas native a spot on the eventual Olympic gold winning Team USA, as Jackson LaCombe took his place. Nonetheless, Jones will provide a big boost to a Panthers group which is seeking to defy the odds and claw their way back into the playoffs after a season ravaged by injuries. The veteran figures to return sometime this week, but Florida is currently on a four game road trip running through Friday.
- Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek is good to go today against the Blues, head coach John Hynes shared, later posted by the team. The center took a high stick close to his eye on Friday, the team recalling Tyler Pitlick in case he was unable to play. Eriksson Ek has played in 54 of the club’s 60 games so far, posting 42 points. Pitlick is still in the lineup however, as Marcus Foligno is absent with a lower-body injury per the team. The 34-year-old has shown signs of offensive regression this year with just six goals in 48 games, but he’s still a vital leader for the group, 77 games away from reaching the 1,000 mark. Foligno could return as soon as Tuesday against Tampa Bay.