Wild, Flyers Swap Boris Katchouk, Roman Schmidt
The Wild announced this evening that they’ve acquired defenseman Roman Schmidt from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Boris Katchouk. Both players will report to their respective AHL clubs, sharing the distinction of being former notable Tampa Bay Lightning draft selections.
Even more interesting, both players started the campaign with the Lightning organization, being traded away separately, and now swapped for each other, as pointed out by Eduardo A. Encina of The Tampa Bay Times.
Katchouk, 27, is the more recognizable name in the deal with 179 NHL games under his belt. Selected in the second round by Tampa in the 2016 draft, the Vancouver native was thought to have safe middle six potential with raw scoring upside. Much like several other forwards chosen in his range of that draft, things did not materialize for Katchouk, who is now a full time AHLer. He was part of the Brandon Hagel trade in 2022, managing to skate in 117 games as a Blackhawk from 2021-24, but recording just 26 points. Katchouk’s possession metrics at even strength were far below league average, albeit on a hardcore rebuilding team.
He was then claimed off waivers by Ottawa in 2024, notching four points in 21 games but not getting another contract. Katchouk spent all of 2024-25 in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he had his best professional season, with 49 points in 67 games. The efforts brought him back to his original club, but after just a few months, he was traded to the Wild organization for Michael Milne, who was a former third rounder who managed to skate in a game for the Wild last year.
Set to finish the season with Lehigh Valley, Katchouk departs the AHL’s bottom ranked team in Iowa, but his new club is not necessarily a contender, as the Flyers farmhands are ranked 22nd.
Positive news considering their place in the standings, meanwhile Iowa gets younger with the acquisition of Schmidt. The 23-year-old is also under team control as a restricted free agent this summer. Drafted in the third round back in 2021 by Tampa Bay, Schmidt was traded in early December for Ethan Samson, a fringe sixth round drafted prospect. A Michigan native out of the OHL, Schmidt has just one helper across 29 AHL contests this year between Syracuse and Lehigh Valley. A 6’5″ righty, he brings physicality and racks up PIMs. He is a longshot to become an NHLer at this point, but Schmidt brings a boost to the struggling Iowa Wild who have been thin on the back end.
Lightning, Flyers Swap Roman Schmidt, Ethan Samson
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers have swapped minor-league defenseman. Tampa Bay has sent Roman Schmidt to Philadelphia in exchange for Ethan Samson. Schmidt is in his second season in the AHL, while Samson is in his third.
This move swaps an imposing, physical defender for a more mobile, two-way option. Schmidt stands at 6-foot-5 and 215-pounds. He uses that heft, and a long reach, to shut down entry into the defensive zone and control space in front of his own net. That focus has held Schmidt to just one point in 13 games this season and six points in 62 career AHL games. He has led the Syrcause Crunch in penalty minutes in each of the last two seasons – with 38 PIMs this year and 79 PIMs in 49 games last year. Tampa Bay originally drafted Schmidt in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, out of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Samson has offered a bit more offense through his AHL career. He has four assists, and only four penalty minutes, in 10 games this season – after missing the start of the year due to a training camp injury. He’s continued to offer a physical and engaged presence on defense, with a bit more downhill drive with the puck on his stick. He has 40 points, a minus-19, and 100 PIMs in 142 career AHL games. The Flyers drafted Samson three rounds after Schmidt in 2021 from the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.
This move will provide the Flyers with a bit more grit behind a young depth chart filled with skill-first players. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will look to bank on Samson’s upside. The Lightning are no strangers to rewarding AHL defenders on NHL contracts. They have had 10 different defenders appear in NHL games this season and briefly had Schmidt on their roster, though he didn’t make his NHL debut.