FORT LAUDERDALE — Forward Eetu Luostarinen signed an eight-year with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. The new contract, worth a reported $40 million for a $5 million cap hit, will extend him through the 2034-35 season.
Prior to the extension, Luostarinen’s most recent contract was a three-year, $9 million deal — a $3 million cap hit — set to expire after the 2026-27 season.
“A key piece of our two Stanley Cups, I am thrilled that Eetu will continue his career with the Panthers,” general manager Bill Zito said in a press release. “A consummate professional who is committed to being a difference maker at both ends of the ice, his work at even strength and on the penalty kill is critical to our team success in South Florida.”
The 27-year-old has been a part of Florida’s squad for the majority of his NHL career. He was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017 as the No. 42 pick and spent the early part of his 2019-20 season — his first in the NHL — seeing minimal minutes.
However, a trade between the Hurricanes and Panthers in February 2020 gave the Siilinjarvi, Finland, native the opportunity he had been looking for and sparked his next five seasons in South Florida. He played in 44 games in his first year with the Panthers.
Since then, the 6-foot-3, 191-pound forward has proved a crucial addition, mainly settling into Florida’s third line. His most productive season came in his 2022-23 campaign, when he posted 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points in 82 games. He also boasted a plus-19 plus/minus on the year.
Florida Panthers center Eetu Luostarinen (27) and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Faulk (72) go after the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
While he has yet to match that again, his contributions to the club’s success have been instrumental. Notably, he scored five goals and racked up 19 points in Florida’s 2024-25 playoff push that saw the Panthers hoist the cup. He posted a plus-11 plus/minus during that stretch as well.
With his extension, the Panthers retain a key piece of their playoff success in recent years as they look to repeat it this season.