The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman’s Six realistic offer-sheet candidates NHL teams should target this offseason included Florida RFA forward Mackie Samoskevich, saying the following:
Not every offer-sheet candidate is in those top two compensation tiers. In some ways, it’s harder for a team to swoop in and steal players at this level because their extensions are generally more affordable and easily matched. AFP Analytics only projects Mackie Samoskevich’s next deal to carry a $3.08 million cap hit over two years. Evolving-Hockey has an extension coming in at four years with a $4.7 million AAV.
The Panthers don’t have too much work to do this summer. Florida has 11 forwards and six defensemen already signed, so the bare-minimum summer checklist includes adding two forwards, one defenseman and two goalies. So, unless this team is planning on making a splash with a trade, extending Samoskevich should be pretty cut-and-dry — unless another team steps in and is willing to take a gamble with a pricey contract.
Evolving-Hockey points to a $5.25 million cap hit on a six-year deal if Samoskevich were to sign outside of Florida. A new team would probably have to go bigger than that to 1) keep him out of the Panthers’ grasp and 2) account for the tax factor. While Samsokevich doesn’t have a long track record, he could be worth that swing. The 23-year-old is projected to have a market value worth $6.7 million, on average, over the next six years.
While some comps point to a concerning path forward, like Patrick Eaves, Sven Andrighetto and Troy Bouwer, his range of outcomes also includes that of Troy Terry and Adrian Kempe. In a more consistent top-six role, with more power-play usage, maybe he will have a better chance of channeling that higher-end trajectory. That could be worth the cost of a first and third. A rebuilding team could be interested based on his age. Playoff teams without the time or patience to develop a prospect could also make sense.
Defenseman Daxon Rudolph remained the Florida Panthers choice in The Athletic’s 2026 NHL Mock Draft 2.0. The site had this to say about the 18-year-old right-hander who plays for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders:
Rudolph’s excellent playoff run leading the Raiders to a WHL final impressed scouts and gives him a real chance to go higher than No. 9. But one of the top five D is likely to be available here, and he still seems to be viewed as the fifth in the consensus. If he gets to the Panthers, I expect they’ll take him. He announced his commitment to the University of Denver in Buffalo at the combine last week, and with Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones and Dmitry Kulikov all 30-plus to start next season, now is the time for them to start thinking about a future blue line. Of note, the Panthers did take Rudolph to dinner in Buffalo as well.
And finally. The Athletic expanded their Free Agent Big Board to 75 players for the third installment, and there are a couple of unrestricted Panthers who are on the list.
5. Sergei Bobrovksy
Bobrovsky had been seeking a long-term deal with the Panthers following three straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and the sides now appear to be at a stalemate. His numbers took a big dip last season, but he’s a reasonable bet to play well into his 40s because of his exceptional conditioning. Bobrovsky is an athletic goaltender, particularly when it comes to lateral mobility, and he carries the added allure that comes with Cup credentials.
43. A.J. Greer
A depth winger with plenty of size, Greer established career bests this past season with 17 goals and 32 points. He is a good skater who plays with an edge and carries some added shine after lifting the Stanley Cup in Florida last June.
ESPN’s Way-too-early Power Rankings edition for 2026-27 season identifies the key early-offseason storyline for each club. The Cats were ranked seventh.
The Panthers’ biggest addition this summer will be Aleksander Barkov, the captain who missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season after a lower-body injury suffered last preseason. GM Bill Zito has over $15 million in cap space to deploy in the coming weeks and will need to use some of it on goaltending, as both Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov are UFAs. Beyond that, will there be another blockbuster trade or signing?
Our division rivals in Toronto, made a somewhat notable trade with the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday. New general manager John Chayka sent defenseman Simon Benoit and goaler Joseph Woll south to the Flyers in exchange for defenseman Emil Andrae, goaler Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick in this year’s draft.