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2mo ago

Panthers Sign Eetu Luostarinen to Eight-Year Extension

The long-term deal locks in a key depth forward and signals the club is keeping championship-era pieces while planning its salary cap ahead.

Mar 24, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) shoots the puck against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Overview

  • The Florida Panthers announced on Wednesday that center Eetu Luostarinen signed an eight-year contract extension to remain with the team.
  • The club did not disclose financial terms but multiple outlets reported the deal is worth roughly $40 million, or about $5 million per year.
  • The reported contract is set to begin in the 2027–28 season after Luostarinen’s final year on his current three-year, $9 million deal, which affects the team’s cap planning for 2026–27 and beyond.
  • Luostarinen, 27, has 162 NHL points in 447 games and posted 33 points this past season while delivering 19 playoff points in Florida’s 2024–25 Stanley Cup run, making him a valued depth center and penalty-kill contributor.
  • On the same day the Panthers also signed 22-year-old Sandis Vilmanis to a two-year extension, a move that pairs retaining veteran depth with locking up younger talent for the club’s next cycle.