The Florida Panthers announced today that they have assigned forward Mackie Samoskevich to Charlotte and recalled forward Will Lockwood.

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The 20-year-old rookie made his NHL debut in the Panthers season opener last week and has logged two games with Florida thus far.

Samoskevich, who was Florida’s first-round pick in 2021, began his pro career at the tail end of last season when he joined the Checkers for two games - picking up a pair of assists along the way. He also skated in seven postseason contests for Charlotte and notched four helpers.

Prior to turning pro, the Connecticut native spent two seasons at the University of Michigan, totaling 72 points (30g, 42a) in 79 games and helping lead the Wolverines to back-to-back Big-10 titles. In the three seasons before that Samoskevich posted 73 points (26g, 47) in 85 USHL games for Chicago and won a Clark cup with the Steel in 2021.

Lockwood, 25, ranks second on the Checkers with three points (2g, 1a) through the first two games of the season. The 2016 third-round pick has made NHL appearances in each of his previous three seasons as a pro - including a 13-game stint with the Canucks last year - picking up one assist in 28 games for Vancouver.

The Checkers are headed out for a three-game road trip over the next week, visiting Toronto on Saturday and Sunday, then Rochester on Wednesday before returning home the following weekend.