Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Looks good to go Wednesday
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Mikkola (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup versus Utah on Wednesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Mikkola missed five games with the injury, but it looks like he's ready to resume a top-four role. He skating on the second pairing in warmups. Mikkola had gone without a point in three games prior to his absence, so he'll be looking to get his offense back on track.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Game-time call Wednesday
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Mikkola (upper body) is set to be a game-time decision Wednesday versus Utah, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Mikkola is expected to take part in warmups before a determination on his status is made. He has four goals, 14 points, 53 hits and 47 blocks in 36 outings in 2024-25. Aaron Ekblad (undisclosed) is also a game-time call, so Florida has a lot of unknowns when it comes to its defense Wednesday.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Not ready to return
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Mikkola (upper body) won't play Monday in Colorado, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Mikkola was a game-time decision heading into Monday's game, but he'll miss a fifth consecutive contest after not taking the ice in warmups. The 6-foot-4 blueliner was able to practice Sunday, so he seems to be nearing a return. Florida's next game will be against Utah on Wednesday.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Deemed game-time decision
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Mikkola (upper body) is considered a game-time decision for Monday's road game against Colorado, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
Mikkola has missed the last four games due to his upper-body injury, but he participated in Sunday's practice session. The Panthers want to monitor how he feels in the hours leading up to Monday's puck drop before determining his status, but even if he's unable to suit up against the Avalanche, he'll likely be able to return to game action soon.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Likely out at least two more games
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Mikkola (upper body) has already been ruled out versus Carolina on Thursday and is also expected to be sidelined for Friday's clash with Pittsburgh, Alex Baumgartner of Five Reasons Sports reports.
Mikkola reportedly could play if needed but instead will sit out both ends of the Panthers' back-to-back. Through 36 appearances this year, the 28-year-old defender has notched four goals and 10 helpers, setting himself up to reach the 20-point threshold for the first time in his six-year NHL career.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Not available for Thursday
Rotowire
Mikkola (upper body) is making progress, but he won't return for Thursday's game against Carolina, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
It will be Mikkola's third straight game on the shelf. He has four goals, 14 points, 53 hits and 47 blocks in 36 appearances in 2024-25. When healthy, Mikkola typically gets top-four minutes but doesn't have a role on the power play.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Won't return Monday
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Mikkola (upper body) won't play Monday against the Rangers, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Mikkola will miss a third straight game after suffering an injury Dec. 23 against Tampa Bay. Adam Boqvist will remain in the lineup in a bottom-pairing role with Mikkola unavailable.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Unavailable for Saturday
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Mikkola (upper body) will miss Saturday's game against Montreal, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Mikkola has four goals and 14 points in 36 appearances in 2024-25. Adam Boqvist is expected to draw into the lineup due to Mikkola's injury.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Injured Monday
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Mikkola suffered an upper-body injury in Monday's 4-0 loss to Tampa Bay and is considered day-to-day, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Mikkola went to the locker room late in the second period and ultimately did not return. Head coach Paul Maurice said that Mikkola attempted to return but was not able to. An update on Mikkola's status should surface before Saturday's home game against Montreal.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Scores again Wednesday
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Mikkola scored a goal on four shots, added three hits, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Wild.
Mikkola has three points over his last two contests. The 28-year-old defenseman has been surprisingly active on offense this season, with four goals and 14 points through 33 appearances, putting him just three points back of matching his career-best production from 2023-24. The blueliner has added 50 shots on net, 49 hits, 40 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a plus-2 rating. Mikkola is worth a look in deeper formats and could have widespread fantasy appeal if he continues to chip in offense on a semi-regular basis.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Two points in Monday's win
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Mikkola produced a goal and an assist in Monday's 6-5 win over the Oilers.
Both points came in the third period, as Mikkola tied the game at 4-4 before helping to set up Carter Verhaeghe for the game-winner. It was Mikkola's first multi-point performance since Oct. 15, snapping a slump that has seen him manage just two goals and three points over the prior 16 contests. On the season, the 28-year-old blueliner has three goals and 13 points in 32 appearances with 46 hits, 46 shots on net, 38 blocked shots, 26 PIM and a minus-1 rating.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Tallies in high-scoring win
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Mikkola scored a goal on three shots and blocked two shots in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Flyers.
Mikkola snapped a four-game slump with his second tally of the campaign. The defenseman continues to put up decent offense while seeing top-four minutes, though he is still primarily a defensive figure in the lineup. He has 11 points, 37 shots on net, 35 hits, 36 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a plus-1 rating over 27 appearances. That's a pace that would earn him not just his first 20-point campaign, but would also lead to him exceeding the 30-point mark if he can sustain it.
Mikkola scored a goal in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Capitals.
He has two points and three blocked shots over the last two contests, though the Panthers have been outscored 11-5 in that span. Mikkola has been a pleasant surprise on the scoresheet this season, racking up 10 points through 22 outings. He's added 30 shots on net, 30 blocked shots, 29 hits, 22 PIM and a minus-2 rating while seeing steady top-four minutes on the Panthers' blue line.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Offers helper in loss
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Mikkola posted an assist, two blocked shots and a minus-3 rating in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Avalanche.
The helper snapped Mikkola's five-game point drought. Prior to that slump, he had put up six assists in a seven-game span. The 28-year-old blueliner is at nine assists, 29 shots on net, 29 hits, 29 blocked shots, 22 PIM and a minus-2 rating through 21 outings this season.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Finding groove on offense
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Mikkola logged an assist, two blocked shots and a plus-3 rating in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Stars in Finland.
Mikkola has four assists over his last five games, and that's with the 28-year-old not seeing anything more than a trace of power-play time. He's been a consistent part of the Panthers' top four on the blue line, which gives him some proximity to the team's top forwards. Overall, Mikkola has six helpers, 16 shots on net, 23 blocked shots, 15 hits, 10 PIM and an even plus-minus rating through 13 appearances.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Provides assist in win
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Mikkola notched an assist in Thursday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.
Mikkola snapped a three-game point drought with the helper. The 28-year-old defenseman doesn't offer much in the way of offense, but he continues to see top-four minutes on a shutdown pairing with Dmitry Kulikov. Mikkola is at three assists, 11 shots on net, 11 hits, 14 blocked shots, six PIM and a minus-4 rating through nine appearances.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Nabs two helpers Tuesday
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Mikkola picked up two assists in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets.
The veteran blueliner collected his first points of the season, as he had a hand in a Dmitry Kulikov tally in the second period and Eetu Luostarinen's game-winner in the third. Mikkola produced a career-high 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 82 regular-season games for Florida last season, but his true fantasy value lies elsewhere -- he already has 10 blocked shots through five games in 2024-25, including four Tuesday.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Scores second of playoffs
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Mikkola scored the game-tying goal in Monday's 4-1 win over Edmonton in Game 2.
Mikkola tied the game at one in the second period after burying a drop pass from Anton Lundell past Edmonton's Stuart Skinner. Mikkola had been held off the scoresheet in four consecutive contests prior to getting back on the board in Game 2. While he's not known for his offense, Mikkola will jump into the rush if given the opportunity, as evidenced by his marker Monday night. The second-pair defenseman has two goals and two assists with a plus-4 rating in 19 playoff contests.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Bags apple in loss
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Mikkola logged an assist, four hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Rangers in Game 3.
Mikkola helped out on an Aleksander Barkov goal in the third period. The helper was Mikkola's first point in nine games since the start of the second round, though his lack of offense hasn't cost him a spot on the Panthers' second defense pairing. The 28-year-old has just three points to go with 11 shots on net, 43 hits, 20 blocked shots, 16 PIM and a plus-1 rating over 14 playoff outings.
