In 72 games this season, the 2021 first-round pick (24th overall) tallied 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) and matched Carter Verhaeghe with a team-leading five game-winning goals.
Not shy of physicality, Samoskevich also ranked sixth on the Panthers with 134 hits.
“I don’t have to be careful with him anymore, he understands what we’re doing,” head coach Paul Maurice said of Samoskevich, whose 15 goals were tied for eighth among NHL rookies in 2024-25. “I’m excited for him because it feels like he’s been with us because he was with us last year in that run. Then he comes in, and to his credit, he’s handled every situation like a great pro.”
Earning the trust of Maurice and the Panthers, Samoskevich will be counted on to produce right from the get-go in Game 1 against the cross-state rival Lightning.
During Saturday’s practice, the speedy sniper was taking rushes on the second line alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, who is nearing a return from an injury.
Despite playing together for just a short period of time before Tkachuk was knocked out of the lineup in February, Maurice said he loved how that trio looked right away.
Over 25:10 of ice time together at 5-on-5, the line of Samoskevich, Bennett and Tkachuk posted a 64.52% share of shot attempts and a 70.21% share of expected goals, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
“I’ve been looking forward to it,” Samoskevich said of getting the line back together. “They support me so well. They make it easy on me. Their hockey sense is off the charts, so it makes me better.”
Although it will be his first Stanley Cup Playoffs, No. 25 is no stranger to high stakes games.
Prior to turning pro, the Connecticut native helped the University of Michigan win the Big Ten Tournament and advance to the Semifinals of the Frozen Four during the 2022-23 season.
Between those tournaments, he racked up eight points (four goals, four assists) in seven games.
“I think it’s huge,” Samoskevich said of his prior experience of playing in the postseason with Michigan. “Those are one game or you’re out, so it’s all the pressure in one game. You got to be ready for anything, and I think those games were huge for me.”
Adding to his playoff experience, Samoskevich also appeared in 10 playoff games with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL from 2023-24, collecting four assists during that span.
“Last year, the playoffs in the American League, it’s another level,” he said. “I learned that, and it’s going to be another level here.”
Join us at our watch party to watch Samoskevich and the rest of the Panthers take on the Lightning!
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