For players coming up from the amateur ranks, it’s a steep step up to the pro level. From the travel to the elevated competition, it’s a whole other beast that can be a challenge to navigate for young skaters.
Mackie Samoskevich isn’t sweating it, though. He’s having a great time.
“I’ve loved it so far,” said Samoskevich of his first pro season. “Coming from school where you’re playing just two times a week, playing multiple times a week is fun. Obviously you have to take care of your body and make sure your body is doing good but I’ve had a blast. I love playing every other night or whatever it is. You get to work on so many different things and round out your game more. I’ve loved it so far.”
Samoskevich got his first taste of the pro game at the tail end of last season. Following the conclusion of his sophomore campaign at Michigan, he joined the Checkers and suited up for the entirety of their playoff run.
That stint - in which he posted six assists in nine games - was an eye-opening experience for the young prospect.
“It was huge,” said Samoskevich. “Especially with it being playoff hockey, that’s way different. It’s way faster and hopping in there is as fast as it gets. It was good to experience what the pro game is like. There’s so many different things that you don’t really notice until you get here. I had a blast and I think it was huge for me.”
It also helped set the stage for what was a pivotal summer for Samoskevich. Building off the lessons he had accumulated, his offseason work caught the eye of Florida’s brass and pushed Samoskevich to a watershed moment - making the Panthers’ opening night roster and suiting up for his NHL debut.
“Dream come true,” said Samoskevich of that night in Minnesota. “It was a goal I had coming into the summer, trying to make the team. I worked hard and it went well. I had a blast up there, the team is so great and all the guys up there, they’re pros for a reason. The coaching staff up there helped me so much with coming into the NHL and learning different things. It was a special time for me.”
The 24th overall pick in 2021, Samoskevich appeared in Florida’s first two games this season before being assigned to Charlotte, where he could ideally take on an elevated role as a rookie.
“It’s just about doing what I do,” said Samoskevich of the message from Florida as he came to Charlotte. "I think the biggest thing is just to keep working. My game is based off of work ethic, so getting the reps out here is huge. They’ve just said to keep doing what you’re doing. I think they’re happy.”
That seems to be an accurate read.
“I think it’s been all positive,” said Panthers Manager of Player Development Mike Ryan. “Every day he seems to be getting more comfortable. He’s obviously a talented kid and every level you go up you have to find ways to exude your talent. I just see it - it looks like he’s energized, he doesn’t look worn down. Mentally he’s in a good spot, physically he’s in a good spot.”
The mental aspect of a young player navigating an AHL reassignment early on in their career is always something to keep an eye on, but Samoskevich has impressed with his approach.
“His character is high end,” said Ryan. “There’s been absolutely no issues with that. It really depends on the player and their maturity level. He’s a very mature kid. I’ve been working with him for over two years now - all his time at Michigan. He’s very disciplined.”
Now 16 games into the season, Samoskevich stands out nearly every time he touches the ice.
“His skating, great edges,” said Ryan of what has impressed him the most thus far. “He understands how to use his skating. A lot of people say kids are great skaters and there’s a lot of fast skaters out there, but there’s not a lot of guys that know how to use their skating. Whether that’s changing speed or the way his head is up or the deception, he’s able to create a lot of space for himself - which is a gift because usually when kids come in they just want to skate 100 miles an hour. He has that sense.”
That high-end skating ability is leading to offensive chances for the young forward. It took until game 11 for Samoskevich to notch his first pro goal, but he has lit the lamp three times over the last six games now, and his 10 points are tied for fourth on the Checkers.
“He has a great shot, he’s just going to have to find ways to get it off at this level,” said Ryan. “Obviously guys are smarter with their sticks, they have better hand-eye coordination, goaltending is better. I think that’s what he’s trying to figure out now - how to get his shot off in certain areas. But he’s doing a lot of other things so well. Small plays, tight plays where there’s no space. He’s holding onto the puck more. I think when he figures out how to get that shot off I think you’ll start to see the numbers.”
Part of Samoskevich’s recent uptick in production - after going three straight games without a point he has five in his last six contests - has been a palpable chemistry growing between him and Justin Sourdif.
A 21-year-old who was taken in the third round by Florida one year before Samoskevich was selected, Sourdif turned a solid rookie season into an NHL debut this year, and now the two are combining as a deadly pair for Charlotte and a bright spot for the Panthers’ future.
“We love to play with speed, I think that’s the biggest thing,” said Samoskevich. “I think we’re hard to defend on the rush and then in the zone we have that chemistry to know where each other are at all times. He’s a great person off the ice too, we sit next to each other in the locker room. We’ve been able to get along pretty well. I think he was the first person I met at that first development camp two years ago. We’ve been able to build a friendship since then.”
As he continues to come into his own as a pro in Charlotte, Samoskevich has his sights set on returning to the NHL and is committed to putting in the work to get there.
“I think one thing is just holding on to pucks down low,” he said on what things Florida wants him to focus on. “I’m good off the rush, I can create off the rush. In the O-zone, in the corners with the bigger D at the pro level now, it’s harder to hold onto pucks. That’s one thing I’ve been working on and I think I’ve done a better job as the year has gone on - holding onto those pucks for an extra second and making the play instead of just throwing it down the wall. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
It may only be three months into the season, but Samoskevich’s growth in a Charlotte sweater should have Panthers fans excited.
“On the development side of it we’re extremely pleased with how he’s competing,” said Ryan. “It’s been very positive.”
