“I think the Panthers are going to trade for Dylan Larkin” — Rick Springhetti

Michaël Petit
“I think the Panthers are going to trade for Dylan Larkin” — Rick Springhetti
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

A trade that came out of nowhere was finalized on Father's Day.

A few hours ago, it was announced that Mackie Samoskevich was leaving the Florida Panthers to join the Kraken.

This trade is a win-win for both teams. The Kraken are acquiring a 23-year-old winger who was a member of the Panthers during both of their Stanley Cup victories. However, he only received the 2025 championship ring, since in 2024 he had played just seven games and did not appear in the playoffs.

As for the Panthers, they're offloading a future restricted free agent who was still unsigned, while also acquiring draft picks.

What's interesting about all this is that Florida is one of Dylan Larkin's preferred destinations, as he recently requested a trade.

Keep in mind that the Panthers now hold the No. 9 and No. 25 picks in the upcoming draft, and these would obviously be very valuable assets to offer in exchange for a player like Larkin.

Rick Springhetti believes that Florida will acquire Larkin, as he mentioned in a tweet following the Samoskevich trade.

When you think about it, it makes sense, but we should expect Detroit to demand an established player in return.

What if the foundation of a trade sending Larkin to Florida were the No. 9 pick and Anton Lundell?

With the 9th overall pick, the Wings could still land a quality prospect like Tynan Lawrence or Viggo Björck.

And Lundell is an excellent young center—established, versatile, intelligent, and capable of racking up his share of points. In fact, he just had his best season in terms of points per game (0.69). Over an 82-game season, that would give him 56 points.

But offense isn't his strongest suit. He's an excellent player on the penalty kill, reads the game very well, and is a true playmaker on the ice.

He could certainly play as the first-line center for the Wings this season. In fact, I could see him centering Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (if the latter returns).

In any case, the Mackie Samoskevich trade leads me to believe that something else is brewing in Florida.


In a Nutshell

– Here are some other targets the Habs could select with the 28th pick.

– Stay tuned.

– Read more.

– Serena Williams is returning to Wimbledon.

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