Fresh off back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, the Florida Panthers have now locked up another key part of their roster long term.
On Thursday, Panthers GM Bill Zito announced that defenceman Niko Mikkola has signed an eight-year, $40 million contract extension, carrying an average annual value of $5 million. Mikkola is on the final year of a $2.5 million cap hit before his new deal kicks in next season. His new contract runs through the 2033-34 season, meaning he’ll be 38 years old when he next hits free agency.
“Saw all the boys signing here, so it was a no-brainer,” Mikkola said, per Panthers reporter Jameson Olive.
The number may appear a little steep for Florida, but Mikkola has played a crucial role on the Panthers second defensive pairing over the past two seasons, playing big minutes through both Cup runs. He had a career-best postseason last year, with over 20 minutes played a night, and three goals and three assists.
“You love those guys because they’re part of the fabric of your group,” said head coach Paul Maurice, per Olive. “They do all the hard things. Sometimes in that role, because you’ve got to take care of your top-end guys, they get missed or your lose them. Did not want to see him go to free agency.”
With that business done, Mikkola and the Panthers now shift their attention to the upcoming season, as they attempt the three-peat this year.
Meanwhile, another top defenceman came off the board on Thursday, as Jackson LaCombe signed an eight-year, $9 million AAV extension with the Anaheim Ducks. The $72 million total figure is the largest a player has received in Ducks history.
LaCombe’s contract kicks in next season at the conclusion of his current deal which sees him earning less than a million a year. He is currently the only Ducks defenceman signed past next season. Currently 24, the deal will keep him in Anaheim until he’s 33 years old.
With the conclusion of Trouba’s $8 million a year contract this season, LaCombe’s extension doesn’t change too much on the books for Anaheim. The Ducks currently boast $13 million in cap space heading into this year, but will look to sign extensions for top prospects Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, both on the final years on their entry-level contracts and set to become restricted free agents next summer. LaCombe’s large payday will almost certainly have a big impact on the contracts they sign, as well as setting the market for other young blue liners across the league.