In midst of career year, Florida Panthers sign Jesper Boqvist to two-year extension
The Florida Panthers signed Jesper Boqvist this offseason as a low-risk, high-reward forward who could offset some of the bottom-six forward talent the team lost from its Stanley Cup championship team.
He has more than lived up to expectations and has been rewarded for it.
The Panthers announced Tuesday it has signed Boqvist to a two-year contract extension. The deal is reportedly worth $1.5 million per year.
“Jesper has proven to be a highly competitive and dynamic forward who can be used in all situations,” Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said in a press release announcing the news. “He fits seamlessly with our group, and we are excited to have him continue his career with the Florida Panthers.”
Boqvist, in his sixth NHL season and signed for the league minimum $775,000 this season, has already set a career high this season with 12 goals. His 22 points are one shy of his career best set in the 2021-22 season with the New Jersey Devils. The 26-year-old forward has played on Florida’s second, third and fourth lines this season, moving around wherever the team needs him. He is also used in late shifts on the Panthers’ penalty kill and has gotten power play time.
With Boqvist signed, the Panthers now have 16 players — 10 forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender — under contract for next season at a collective cap hit of $76.5 million. The salary cap for the 2025-26 season is $95.5 million, meaning the Panthers have $19 million to sign at minimum four players (two forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender) and up to seven (NHL rosters are capped at 23 players).
Florida has two key members of its core set to become unrestricted free agents this summer in defenseman Aaron Ekblad and center Sam Bennett.
Meanwhile, rookie forward Mackie Samoskevich is a restricted free agent.
Here is a full breakdown of Florida’s contractual situations beyond this season.
Forwards
▪ Aleksander Barkov: $10 million annually through 2029-30
▪ Matthew Tkachuk: $9.5 million annually through 2029-30
▪ Sam Reinhart: $8.63 million annually through 2031-32
▪ Anton Lundell: $5 million annually through 2029-30
▪ Carter Verhaeghe: $7 million annually through 2032-33
▪ Evan Rodrigues: $3 million annually through 2026-27
▪ Eetu Luostarinen: $3 million annually through 2026-27
▪ Jesper Boqvist: $1.5 million annually through 2026-27
▪ A.J. Greer: $850,000 annually through 2025-26
▪ Jonah Gadjovich: $775,000 annually through 2025-26
▪ Mackie Samoskevich: Restricted free agent after 2024-25
▪ Sam Bennett, Tomas Nosek: Unrestricted free agents after 2024-25
Defensemen
▪ Seth Jones: $7 million annually through 2029-30
▪ Gustav Forsling: $5.75 million annually through 2031-32
▪ Niko Mikkola: $2.5 million annually through 2025-26
▪ Dmitry Kulikov: $1.15 million annually through 2027-28
▪ Uvis Balinskis: $850,000 annually through 2025-26
▪ Aaron Ekblad, Nate Schmidt: Unrestricted free agents after 2024-25
Goaltenders
▪ Sergei Bobrovsky: $10 million annually through 2025-26
▪ Chris Driedger: Unrestricted free agent after 2024-25
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
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