Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola agreed to an eight-year contract extension on Thursday. He will play the final season of his three-year, $7.5 million contract with Florida in 2025-26 before the extension begins in the 2026-27 campaign. The 6-foot-6 Mikkola joins fellow defensemen Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones in being locked into extensions until at least 2030. Mikkola was second among defensemen last season with 77 wins on puck battles while leading and also No. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, Mikkola has 62 points (14 goals, 48 assists) in 328 career games with the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Panthers.