FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Panthers signed two-way forward Eetu Luostarinen to an eight-year contract extension Wednesday, locking up one of the most reliable players on a roster that has reached three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and won the last two.
The 27-year-old Finn has been a fixture on both sides of the puck since the Panthers acquired him from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2020. Over the last four seasons, Luostarinen’s +36 plus/minus rating ranks fourth on the team behind only Gustav Forsling (+103), Aleksander Barkov (+44) and Matthew Tkachuk (+39). He also ranks second on the Panthers in penalty kill time at 570:34, trailing only Forsling at 748:03.
“He did everything he needed to do to make himself a better player, and he’s such a vital part of our team,” President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito said. “On and off the ice, in the room, he is just a joy to be around and has so much respect from management, from the coaches, and from the room. You look at him and say, ‘That’s a Panther.’”
Luostarinen has tallied 34 points — 10 goals and 24 assists — in 73 playoff games across the Panthers’ three straight Cup Final runs, including wins in 2024 and 2025. His 14 assists during the 2025 Cup run ranked fourth on the team.
“To get traded just early in the career, and it was a little bit of shock, but obviously everything turned out really pretty good,” Luostarinen said Thursday. “It’s a big deal to get an extension like this.”
Luostarinen pointed to the organization’s trajectory as a reason players are staying in South Florida. “I think that’s a tell how good things are in Florida right now,” he said. “Guys are taking a little bit of a discount to stay, and just the new rink, the ownership, everything is really dialed in. They’re really putting a lot of effort to keep us happy and get us everything we need to play at a high level. Everybody is such good teammates, and we want to keep winning, so that’s a major piece. I think everybody’s pretty happy in the Sunshine State.”
He also praised captain Barkov’s performance at the World Championship after missing the entire regular season. “Not many players can do that, be out for the whole year, and then just dominate, and on that high level,” Luostarinen said. “Now, after the summer, he’ll be even better.”
Looking ahead, Luostarinen said the Panthers have bolstered the roster again this offseason. “We’ve been adding good pieces again, and a little bit more physicality, a little bit more weight to our lineup,” he said. “I’m excited to meet the new guys and get out there and compete with them.”