Panthers extend forward Eetu Luostarinen

Luostarinen arrived in Florida as part of the trade that sent Vincent Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes.

At the time, he was a 2017 second-round pick whose rangy six-foot-three frame and productivity in Liiga for KalPa suggested legitimate NHL upside, only he had struggled to make a consistent impact in his first season in North America.

As recently as last season, Luostarinen’s 26 points stood as a career-high for any season in North America.

This past year, though, Luostarinen finally put together all his tools at the NHL level and scored 17 goals and 43 points in 82 games. As Zito alluded to, Luostarinen’s combination of size and speed, as well as his versatility to be able to be used throughout the lineup made him an important player for the Panthers. He really clicked under first-year head coach Paul Maurice, and with this contract extension is likely to be a staple on a Panthers scoring line moving forward.

Luostarinen will make $1.5M against the cap next season before this contract kicks in, and while the team might have struggled to afford this AAV next season, the cap’s expected rise could make things a bit easier for 2024-25.

Assuming Luostarinen can be relied upon to at the very least match his production from last season, this signing is a savvy bet from Zito. $3M is already an affordable price to pay for 17 goals and 43 points of production, but if Luostarinen takes another step in his game this deal is a candidate to provide significant surplus value.

Seeing as the Panthers are intent on competing for a Stanly Cup in the next few seasons, getting Luostarinen locked up at this manageable price tag is a nice bit of business by the team’s front office.