Joined: Oct. 2019
Posts: 3,089
Likes: 2,274
Winnipeg is probably on Acciari's 10 team no trade list, but Samoskevich sounds like a good prospect according to Wheeler at The Athletic:
2. Mackie Samoskevich, RW, 19 (University of Michigan)
When I went to Ann Arbor at the end of November to watch the University of Michigan play live, Samoskevich picked up a secondary assist, made a number of plays off of his backhand (which he’s really comfortable on), used his deceptive shot to create a few chances, and played a more physical game than I was anticipating, finishing all of his checks and getting up and under opposing players in battles. Then he popped in an offensive role in his first game at the world juniors in Red Deer, where I thought he was one of Team USA’s best players on the ice. He hasn’t played consistently in that kind of a role with the Wolverines, but he has been effective as a freshman there too. Samoskevich is a gifted, plus-level skating winger whose hands, speed (though I think his skating isn’t quite as strong as I gave it credit for last year), and edges (in particular) help him attack on angles and put defenders on their heels. There’s a genius to his game that allows him to see plays through layers, hang onto pucks, and finesse plays in and out of space. I love the way he moves inside the offensive zone and the high tempo he plays with. And while he’s not a big player, he’s an athletic one whose decent strength through the base of his stride allows him to keep sequences alive. I’d like to see him look to attack underneath to the inside a little more and his numbers don’t pop as much as his skill level does, but I’ve often said that he’s not going to be a kid who is one-and-done or in college for the full four years. On his current trajectory, I’d look for him to become a star player at the NCAA level as a junior.