Defenseman Mikkola quietly standing out for league-leading Panthers
As the Panthers continue their torrid run, winning 14 of their past 16 games to put themselves atop the NHL standings entering Monday night’s game at the New York Rangers, recognition has been heaped on a slew of players for their individual accomplishments.
Sam Reinhart scoring 40-plus goals. Sergei Bobrovsky being dominant in the net and pushing his way back in Vezina Trophy conversation. Matthew Tkachuk racking up points since the calendar flipped to January.
But one player’s career year is falling under the radar because of that.
Niko Mikkola, the 27year-old defenseman who signed a three-year deal with the Panthers in the offseason, has quietly been one of Florida’s top players this season.
He’s not necessarily putting up points — even though his three goals, 10 assists and 13 points all tie his career high — but that’s not his game. He will join the rush and create offensive opportunities, but his main objective is to use his size (6-5 and 206 pounds) and physicality to limit the other team’s offensive chances, whether it’s laying out an opponent with a bone-chilling hit or sacrificing his body to stop a shot from getting to the net.
“He is perfectly built to play the game we play,” coach Paul Maurice said earlier this season. “He is unusual in the fact that he is a big man who plays a quickness game. He closes gaps, uses that long reach to kill plays, and gets into corners.”
Mikkola, who split last season between the Rangers and St. Louis after starting his NHL career with the Blues in 2019, entered Monday leading the Panthers with 98 blocked shots and was second on the team with 143 hits (both eight shy of a single-season career high).
He was playing an average of 19:50 — more than 31⁄2 minutes per game more on average than his career average of 16:14 — through 61 games. He has played all season on Florida’s second defense pairing, first with Dmitry Kulikov and then with Brandon Montour, and is a critical part of the penalty kill that ranks as the sixth-best in the NHL.
Mikkola isn’t flashy. He doesn’t produce the highlight-reel plays.
But he does what the Panthers need him to do: He’s gritty, consistent and finds a way to get the job done.
And he is continuing to build his game as the Panthers build their way toward another potential deep playoff run.
“We’re trying to get the game at playoff level,” Mikkola said. “Just do what we do and try to improve every game.”
MILESTONE WATCH
Montour, who had 13 points over his past seven games, was set to play in his 500th career game Monday against the Rangers. Montour, 29, was to play his 219th game with the Panthers after starting his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and then playing for the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to Florida in April 2021.
Two other Panthers were closing in on gamesplayed milestones as well:
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.
Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs.
TUESDAY
Florida at New Jersey, 7
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7
Edmonton at Boston, 7:30
St. Louis at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30
Montreal at Nashville, 8
Seattle at Winnipeg, 8
Chicago at Arizona, 9
Vancouver at Los Angeles, 10:30
Dallas at San Jose, 10:30
MONDAY
Florida at N.Y. Rangers
Boston at Toronto
St. Louis at Philadelphia
Vegas at Columbus
Chicago at Colorado
Seattle at Calgary
SUNDAY
Arizona 5, Washington 2
Los Angeles 5, New Jersey 1
Minnesota 4, San Jose 3
Winnipeg 5, Buffalo 2
Vancouver 2, Anaheim 1
Edmonton 6, Pittsburgh 1
Sam Bennett was five away from his 600th NHL game, while Anton Lundell was five away from Game 200.
For results of Monday night’s Panthers-Rangers game, go to