Florida Panthers Lock Down Another Key Player

The Florida Panthers continued to lock down key players for the foreseeable future, signing defenseman Niko Mikkola to an eight-year contract on Thursday morning.

Mikkola could have been a free agent following this season; his new contract kicks in next season.

The 29-year-old Mikkola signed for $40 million — or $5 million per season. He signed a three-year contract for $7.5 million in 2023.

“It’s awesome,’’ Mikkola said after Thursday’s morning skate in Orlando. The Panthers will travel to Tampa to play the Lightning tonight. “We talked through the summer and saw all the boys sign here, so it was a no-brainer to keep the band together.’’

Mikkola is the latest Florida player to sign a long-term deal after Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand all signed before July 1.

“One thing, I looked around and all the guys are great guys,” Mikkola said. “Since the first time I came to Florida. It was a no-brainer to stay. It’s a way more fun when you are playing with a good team.”

Florida has 11 players signed through 2030 including all four of its top-4 defensemen; Dmitry Kulikov is signed through 2028.

With the signing of Mikkola, the Panthers have a few pending free agents including Sergei Bobrovsky, Jonah Gadjovich, and A.J. Greer.

“They are part of the fabric of your group and they do all the hard things,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said of Mikkola.

“Sometimes, in that role, when you have to take care of your top-end guys, they get missed or you lose them, right? So, we did want to see him go to free agency. He’s a big part of that back end. So we’re real happy.”

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