FORT LAUDERADLE – Mackie Samoskevich is back.
Dealing with an upper-body injury since the opening of training camp, the 21-year-old forward was finally cleared to join the main practice group at Baptist Health IcePlex on Wednesday.
“He got pushed today after practice,” head coach Paul Maurice said of Samoskevich’s return. “We’ll work him a little bit, and then Friday he’ll come in and be full contact.”
If all goes well, Samoskevich will be in the lineup when the Florida Panthers close out their preseason against the Los Angeles Kings at Videotron Centre in Quebec City on Saturday.
Despite missing most of camp, the rookie should get back up to speed quickly.
“He’s way less beat up than everybody else,” Maurice said. “We’re just turning a corner [with the other players] on hips and groins, and they’re starting to feel good. He feels fresh. He’s back. He’s been rehabbing. He should have lots of energy in that game."
Taken by the Panthers with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich showed plenty of promise during his first season in the professional ranks in 2023-24.
After tearing it up for two seasons at Michigan, he carried that offense from college right into the AHL, leading Florida’s affiliate in scoring with 54 points in 62 games last season.
He also finished tied for first with 22 goals.
Heating up down the stretch, four of those goals came during his final seven games with Charlotte.
“When he came back [for his second NHL call-up], he had a way better understanding of the pro game – where you can create time, where there’s no time at all,” Maurice said of Samoskevich's development. “There’s so much of the amateur game that doesn’t prepare you for here. It’s the size and speed, the gap closure. For offensive guys, that’s what they live on. It’s night and day.”
Looking to build off that impressive debut, Samoskevich now hopes to sink is teeth into a full-time role with the Panthers after making his NHL debut and appearing in seven games with Florida last season.
With an opening on the third line following Vladimir Tarasenko’s offseason departure in free agency, Samoskevich was in that spot with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen this morning.
In the preseason finale, that’s where he’s expected to line up up against the Kings.
While the roster battles are still ongoing, Samoskevich is officially back in the ring.
