Florida adds another long-term deal, giving Niko Mikkola an eight-year, $40 million extension

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers and defenseman Niko Mikkola have agreed on an eight-year, $40 million contract extension that would keep him with the team through the 2033-34 season.

The deal begins next season.

Mikkola's contract only adds to Florida's pile of long-term deals with current players. Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell and Seth Jones are under contract through 2029-30. Brad Marchand is signed through 2030-31, Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling have deals through 2031-32, while Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad are signed through 2032-33.

Mikkola would be 38 when his new deal expires.

“Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice,” Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said. “He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers.”

Mikkola has been with the Panthers for two years; the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in both of those seasons. He had career-highs in goals (6), assists (16), points (22) and plus-minus rating (plus-12) during the regular season a year ago, plus led Florida's defensemen with 137 hits.

The 6-foot-6 native of Finland has also played for the New York Rangers and St. Louis. It's expected that he will be part of the Finnish team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

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