Niko Mikkola Fantasy Stats

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) has received the green light to play in Tuesday's encounter with the Boston Bruins. After exiting Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury, Mikkola had no issues getting through Monday's practice and is expected to be ready for Tuesday night. "We're careful about all kinds of injuries," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. "Good to have him back. He plays hard every night and always has an ice bag on something. He was fine the next day." Mikkola's main strength as a player is his reliable play at the backend, and he has only limited fantasy value. In seven outings this season, Mikkola has recorded eight blocks and five hits but has not scored any points.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) joined the team's growing injury list on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres. Mikkola exited the action in the second period, finishing with only 6:53 of ice time. The Panthers defense is already without Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), who has been ruled out for five months. Up front, the team can't count on Aleksandr Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (groin), and Tomas Nosek (knee). Donovan Sebrango and Tobias Bjornfot are the options to take Mikkola's spot in the lineup if the Finnish blue-liner is deemed unavailable for Tuesday's battle against the Boston Bruins.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola was signed to an eight-year extension by the team on Thursday. He agreed to a $40 million deal, giving Mikkola a cap hit of $5 million starting next season. Mikkola rarely makes headlines, but he's a highly rated player in Florida. "Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a statement. "He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers." Over the past two seasons, Mikkola has notched 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 46 postseason appearances. He registered 22 points (six goals, 16 assists), 116 shots, 88 blocks, and 137 hits in 76 regular-season outings last term.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) is poised to re-enter the lineup for Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. Due to an upper-body injury, he was unavailable for Monday's Game 4. Skating alongside Seth Jones on the second defensive pairing, Mikkola has been exceptional in the Eastern Conference Finals, recording four points (two goals, two assists) in three appearances. In his prior 12 playoff outings, the Finnish rearguard had picked up only one point. Additionally, Mikkola has racked up 33 penalty minutes and 40 hits in 15 games. His return will send Uvis Balinskis back to the press box on Wednesday.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) will sit out Monday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Finnish rearguard suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's Game 3 against the Hurricanes. While it was initially believed that Mikkola would be available for Monday's game, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has ruled him out. It's possible he would have played if Florida didn't have a comfortable 3-0 lead in the series. Maurice told reporters on Monday morning that Mikkola would be an option again later in the series. Even though Mikkola only fills a third-pairing role in the Panthers defense, he has made a mark in the Eastern Conference Finals with a three-game point streak. Uvis Balinskis will step in to take his place on Monday, making just his fifth postseason appearance of the year.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) is not expected to miss any time after getting hurt in Saturday's Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes. "We think he's gonna be okay," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters postgame. Mikkola has become a key contributor in the Eastern Conference Finals, registering a three-game point streak. He netted two goals in Saturday's 6-2 win, pushing his tally to five points (three goals, two assists) through 15 games this postseason. Additionally, Mikkola has averaged 2.7 hits per game in the playoffs, making his presence felt at both ends of the ice.

Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola recorded his first career two-goal game in Monday's 5-3 victory against the Oilers. Mikkola took advantage of turnovers by the opposition to join the rush in both situations, with his second goal being deflected into the net off the pad of Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard. Mikkola ranks second among Panthers defensemen with three goals and seven points through 18 games, trailing only Oliver Ekman-Larsson with five goals and 11 points. Despite the great performance on the offensive end, Mikkola is a defensive blueliner who is not worth rostering in standard fantasy formats.