Rookie Mackie Samoskevich promoted to Panthers top power play unit

Florida Panthers rookie Mackie Samoskevich is enjoying a strong first year in the NHL.

The 22-year-old is skating in his second professional season after playing collegiately for the University of Michigan and being selected by Florida in the first round, 24th overall, at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Last year he led the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers in scoring, racking up 22 goals and 54 points in 62 American League outings.

Now he’s working to carry over that success to hockey’s highest level, and so far, the results have been promising.

Through 33 games with the Panthers this season, Samoskevich has a respectable seven goals and 12 points.

His ice time, usage and responsibilities have fluctuated throughout the year, but lately there has been a feel that the youngster has been turning a corner.

Further proof of his ascension came during Wednesday’s practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, when Samoskevich was seen taking reps on Florida’s top power play unit.

“His game is right,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “It’s not just him scoring or getting to the net, I’ve liked his game here the last two or three, so it’s the right time for him to get that look.”

The rookie joined Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad, taking up the left flank spot that recently had been occupied by Carter Verhaeghe.

“It’s definitely an honor being out there with them,” Samoskevich said. “They make it so easy on me, I don’t have to do much.”

While lacking in experience, the youngster has shown that he already possesses a high-end NHL shot and extremely soft hands, both qualities the team hopes to exploit while on the man advantage.

He’s also shown vast improvements in his play and decision-making when he doesn’t have the puck, which plays a large part on the power play, when there can be more open ice to work with.

“If I'm in the right spots, I'll get the puck more and I'll get more shots off,” said Samoskevich. “I think play away from the puck is everything. They've done a good job of telling me where to go and where not to be.”

There is also a level of strategy that goes into the timing of Samoskevich’s promotion.

As Maurice explained, part of moving the rookie up to PP1 was due to Samoskevich making overall improvements in his game, and part of it was due to who they’re playing on Thursday.

“He can do that job,” Maurice said. “One of the structures in that kind of power play is a right-handed shot in that hole. You don’t have to, we’ve had success without it, but it makes some things a little bit easier, especially when you play against a very aggressive team.”

The Carolina Hurricanes, like the Panthers, like to deploy a very aggressive penalty kill.

Having Samoskevich’s fast hands and quick release could prove to be vital if given an opportunity when the team’s meet Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

Overall, there is hope that this change could ultimately become a regular thing as Florida pushes toward the playoffs with plans to defend their Stanley Cup championship.

Samoskevich possesses an elite shot, one that could only add to the weapons already featured on Florida’s top man advantage.

We’ll see how much time they’re given to work on it.

“The hands is the least of the worry, even the experience and the way he moves, we’re not worried about,” Maurice said. “It’s not a matter of worry. You do need some time with almost the subtle tells on how another player moves to what’s going to happen next. When Matthew (Thachuk) has the puck on the goal line, he’ll take it to the net, but is it coming in to Sam (Reinhart) or is it going to come across? And that’s really a play that we’ve haven’t had with a lefty backdoor. There are different places you can put the puck, and Matthew is so good at that, we think if they spend a little time together, it could be really good.”

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