Paul Maurice on Niko Mikkola Signing New Contract with the Florida Panthers

Paul Maurice on Niko Mikkola Signing New Contract with the Florida Panthers

you love those guys um because they are part of the fabric of your group and they do all the hard things and sometimes you know the players sometimes in that role because you got to take care of your top end guys they get missed or you lose them right so he’s a did not want to see him go to free agency he’s a big part of that back end so we’re real happy and he’s a funny as hell so it’s good to keep him around there’s 11 guys now on these long-term here. Do you feel like that that group in particular and these guys kind of have an ownership over this team and the success now? Cuz obviously they’ve already won twice, but it seems like they just want to keep this thing going together. It’s just how many levels of connection can you get? So, there’s a big chunk of guys that have kind of made it happen here that it wasn’t easy at first and ground and and got success through hard work and and now they also there’s not a lot of concern about who we’re going to lose in the near future with some of those core guys. So they that’s their family now. Their their wives and their kids can grow up together, too. Coach, you mentioned just the hard work that Nicola does. Yeah. How much does it speak to not only that, but just the type of teammate person he is when he scores a goal, the way we see the bench go crazy and the fans, too? We get to enjoy that for a few days because you know what’s making the video the next day, too. He’s just such a beyond an honest player kind of. He plays so hard that everybody can identify with him and cheer for him. Or you come to the rink and you’re a hockey fan. You’re a Florida Panther fan and you want to see your team play hard. We may not be great every night, but put the effort in and he’s going in practice and he goes in the games and yeah, he’s he’s exciting to watch and is a fan favorite for sure. with trimming down the roster and seeing so many regulars out there on the ice. How much do you maybe anticipate tonight’s lineup uh being pretty similar to what we can expect to see on opening night? This will be the lineup that if we were starting today it would be we’ll make adjustments to Saturday night’s game just one on health. Um this is a little different this year that all the guys the veterans from last year are only going to get two exhibition games but this is the way it’s going to be going forward. So we want to try to get ahead of it. Is you know two games enough? There may be players that feel they’re ready and they don’t need both games and then we’ll we’ll work those other guys back in just before that final decision has to come. I’m sure there’s still a lot of moving parts decisions to be made possibly about line combinations, but Conan looked really good the other night kind of that instant chemistry. How much do you maybe like the the way they look together and and that potentially as an option for depth line? Yeah, the the most important thing is the chemistry on that line maybe more than any other because you know you saw they developed it with Tom Mcnosk last year and became a really important part of what we do. So we need them to play that way. So was pleased with how that game unfolded the stylewise they look like they’re connected on what they’re trying to do which will make them faster. Two of those guys are pretty heavy so they need to get in and get in on the for check and I don’t I don’t see that line slowing down as it’s structured. popping that tonight? No, no, he’s not. Uh, no. Uh, Teraself will go the whole night tonight. Obviously, he’s had some impressive show on South as a new guy coming for what he’s done so far. Well, really happy. I don’t again what I what I know about goalending. I like the way he moves in the net and his ability to stay on a puck that goes across the crease. He’s got good strength to do it. after that. What you want is a guy to come in and feel good about his game and good about his performance. A hard worker and so we think he can continue to grow. Uh but I’ve been pleased with this camp. One nice one on Nicola going back. Obviously him and Jones are so good in the playoffs and we saw him come together. How much are you looking forward to? Obviously going forward, but it’s a full season of those two guys together accomplish what they can do together once they get to know each other even better. They like playing with each other. Uh Seth really I think he’s got a whole another level that he can get to. I I mean if he plays can play the way he did in the playoffs that would be just fine, right? Uh but the two of them I think can get to another level and we can at some point take some of the minutes away from Forsling and Eklad against the other team’s best every night uh and and throw a different style of pair against them. So there’s some heavier lines that we think that those two guys will excel against. And then Eblad and Forsling take the speed. So I think we’ve got a nice uh there’s a difference between the two pairs. We got some good kind of texture back

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice meets the media after defenseman Niko Mikkola signed an eight-year contract on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.

Mikkola signed for $40 million. He is the 11th player to be locked down with the Panthers through 2030.

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Video Courtesy Florida Panthers / Panther Vision