‘That’s a Panther’: Eetu Luostarinen has proven he’s part of Florida’s core
When Eetu Luostarinen was traded to the Florida Panthers in February 2020, there was no guarantee of what he would amount to long-term. The forward had just eight games of NHL experience under his belt at the time and no true track record built up to that point.
Six years later, the Panthers have difficulty thinking about what their team would be like without him.
Luostarinen’s not the biggest name on the team — that’s a tough task on a team that has Aleksander Barkov, the Tkachuk brothers, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad on the roster — but his value is immense for Florida.
That’s why Luostarinen became the latest member of the team’s core to sign long-term and all but ensure he is with the Panthers through the prime of his career.
He signed an eight-year extension that carries an average annual value of $5 million on July 1, the first day he was eligible to sign such a deal. That extension begins in the 2027-28 season and runs through the 2034-35 campaign.
“It’s such an honor just to get that deal done,” Luostarinen said. “Big thanks for Viola family, and [Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager] Bill [Zito] trusting me also. I’m really excited to be a Panther for such a long time.”
The Panthers are excited for it, too, because of how much Luostarinen brings to the team.
His role has increased every season, going from averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time per game during the 2021 season to hitting a career-high 16:34 per game average last season. He has been a regular on the left wing of Anton Lundell’s line the past five years and is one of Florida’s main forwards on the penalty kill with his strong defensive skillset.
And he’s a steady point producer as well, averaging just over 30 points per game over the past five seasons and putting up double-digit goals in three of those five campaigns. He also has 34 points across four Stanley Cup playoff runs, including 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 2025 when Florida won its second consecutive championship. He represented Finland during both the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the Winter Olympics this past February.
“That guy earned it,” Zito said. “He did everything he needed to do to make himself a better player, and he’s such a vital part of our team, on and off the ice, in the room. He’s just a joy to be around and has so much respect for the management, coaches, and from the room.
“With Eetu, you look at him and say ‘That’s a Panther.’”
With Luostarinen’s extension in place, the Panthers now have a whopping 13 players under contract through at least the 2030 season.
That group: Barkov, Lundell plus forward Matthew Tkachuk and defenseman Seth Jones through the 2029-2030 season, Marchand through the 2030-31 season, forward Sam Reinhart plus defensemen Gustav Forsling and Radko Gudas through the 2031-32 season, forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett plus Ekblad through the 2032-33 season, defenseman Niko Mikkola through the 2033-34 season and now Luostarinen through the 2034-35 season.
A 14th, forward Brady Tkachuk, will likely join those ranks next season when he is eligible for an extension. Brady Tkachuk’s contract has two years left on its deal.
“It’s just kind of a relief to get a deal like that,” Luostarinen said, “just to know your future a little bit longer than just a year or two in advance. It’s super exciting; can’t wait to get things started again.”
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