The Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year extension with defenseman Niko Mikkola, so their top four defenders have locked in their top four defense until at least 2030.
Sources say the average annual price of the extension is $5 million.
Mikkola's new deal was announced by general manager Bill Zito on Thursday, with no financial terms as the Panthers began seeking three straight titles without two biggest stars. Matthew Tkachuk is recovering from offseason surgery and is expected to return around December. Captain Aleksander Barkov tore the ACL and MCL in the preseason and is expected to recover from seven to nine months of surgery.
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Mikkola, 29, found his game with the Panthers, where he was a major defensive gear for the Stanley Cup champion. He has played in 46 playoff games over the past two seasons, averaging 19:23 per game. He also scored some clutch (if unlikely) goals, including a win in Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Mikkola's game is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, blending the body into one.
“Nico has proven himself a reliable defender who uses his speed and body to affect both ends of the ice,” Zito said in a statement. “He is an essential part of the past two championship games and we are pleased that Nico will continue to work with the Florida Panthers.”
Mikkola is a Finnish man who was selected by St. Louis Blues in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft (No. 127). After three seasons in St. Louis, he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2023 as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko deal.
He signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Panthers as a free agent in 2023. This season is the last year of this deal. The extension will start 2026-27 and last until 2033-34 years. Panthers guards Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones have promised a long-term deal.
Mikkola is expected to be appointed as Finnish team for Milan's 2026 Olympics.