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.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Scores lone goal in loss
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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: One of each Monday
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Mikkola scored an empty-net goal, added an assist, logged five hits and blocked three shots in Monday's 6-1 win over the Lightning in Game 5.
Mikkola helped out on Carter Verhaeghe's opening goal in the second period and scored the final goal of the game in the third. This was Mikkola's first multi-point effort since Dec. 6. He's maintained steady ice time in a top-four role this season, though he's rarely been a big contributor on offense. The 28-year-old blueliner had three goals, 17 points, 93 shots on net, 199 hits, 124 blocked shots and 69 PIM over 82 regular-season outings.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Assist ends lengthy drought
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Mikkola earned an assist in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
Mikkola's 11th helper of the season ended his 29-game pointless drought. He earned the secondary assist on a second-period goal by Aleksander Barkov. The 27-year-old Mikkola has three goals, 14 points, 56 PIM, 175 hits and 113 blocked shots across 73 appearances this campaign while occupying a middle-pairing role.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Two helpers in victory
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Mikkola logged a pair of assists in Wednesday's 5-4 win over Dallas.
Mikkola picked up his first assist on Evan Rodrigues' opening tally in the first period before nabbing a second helper on Carter Verhaeghe's goal early in the second. The 27-year-old Mikkola now has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) through 25 games, just three shy of his career high set in 2021 with St. Louis. While Mikkola isn't expected to provide much in the way of scoring, he's been a steady defensive presence on Florida's second pairing, recording a plus-9 rating with 40 hits and 51 blocked shots.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Lights lamp twice in win
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Mikkola scored two goals in Monday's 5-3 win over the Oilers.
It's the first multi-goal game of Mikkola's career, and with three markers in 18 games to begin the campaign, he's already tied his career high. The 27-year-old blueliner is off to a flying start to begin his first season with Florida, collecting seven points, 24 hits, 29 shots on net, 40 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating while seeing a career-high 20:22 TOI.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Signs with Florida
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Mikkola signed a three-year, $7.5 million deal with the Panthers on Saturday, per PuckPedia.
Mikkola is the third defenseman signed by the Panthers on the opening day of free agency, following Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mike Reilly. While he doesn't bring much offensively, the 27-year-old Mikkola is the strongest defender of the trio. The 6-foot-5 blueliner posted six points in 81 games between the Blues and the Rangers last season, adding 151 hits, 106 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Stays busy in middle frame
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Mikkola earned a game-high plus-3 rating during Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the host Blackhawks.
Mikkola endured an eventful second period Wednesday. The 26-year-old defenseman was on the ice for all five of the teams' combined goals during a frantic 6:25. The Blues pulled out to a 4-2 advantage during the pivotal time span. Mikkola finished with four shots and a team-high four blocks, helping the Blues capture their fourth win in a row. The bottom-four defenseman has just one point over seven November contests.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Gets on scoresheet Saturday
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Mikkola notched an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-2 in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Mikkola had the secondary helper on Ryan O'Reilly's game-winning goal. The assist was Mikkola's first point in 12 appearances this season, though he's more of a physical presence on the blue line. The 26-year-old defenseman has added 28 hits, 26 blocked shots, 15 PIM and a plus-3 rating, and he should continue to see steady playing time with Robert Bortuzzo (upper body) on injured reserve.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Signs one-year extension
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Mikkola signed a one-year, $1.9 million extension with the Blues on Sunday.
Mikkola set career highs in games played (54) and points (13) during the 2021-22 season. The 26-year-old figures to garner a similar reserve role during his fourth year in Saint Louis.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Grabs helper in loss
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Mikkola notched an assist and two blocked shots in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 6.
Mikkola's first and only point of the playoffs was the secondary helper on a Justin Faulk tally in the first period. In 12 playoff outings, Mikkola added 36 hits, 21 blocked shots and eight PIM as a physical presence. He was likely playing above his level a bit -- the absence of Torey Krug (lower body) required Mikkola to see more of a top-four role than expected. The 26-year-old had 13 points, 109 hits, 81 blocked shots and 55 PIM in 54 regular-season outings. He's an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer, and likely one the Blues will want back on a team-friendly deal to serve in a third-pairing capacity.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Provides two assists
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Mikkola notched two assists, three hits and two blocked shots in Sunday's 6-3 win over the Ducks.
Mikkola had been a healthy scratch for the last eight games, and he clearly played like he had something to prove. The 25-year-old helped out on goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Pavel Buchnevich in the contest, snapping his personal 17-game point drought. Mikkola is unlikely to see more than third-pairing usage when he's in the lineup, but he could carve out a regular role if Robert Bortuzzo (undisclosed) and Torey Krug (upper body) remain out. Mikkola has 13 points, 57 shots on net, 108 hits, 80 blocked shots, 55 PIM and a minus-6 rating through 53 appearances this season.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Two helpers in win
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Mikkola collected two assists while adding three blocked shots, two hits, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the flyers.
Both helpers came in the third period as the Blues broke open a 1-1 tie. Mikkola is emerging as a steady fantasy asset in formats that count a wider variety of categories, and over the last 13 games he's amassed one goal, seven points, 16 PIM, 21 shots on goal, 29 blocked shots, 32 hits and a plus-2 rating.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Gets physical in win
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Mikkola contributed two hits and two PIM in a 2-1 win over the Stars on Sunday.
Miikola has 41 hits and 22 PIM on the season. With just four points in 21 games, though, he's barely relevant from a fantasy perspective.
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Blues' Niko Mikkola: Nabs first two helpers of season
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Mikkola dished out two assists in Thursday's 6-2 win over Detroit.
Mikkola assisted on the second of Nathan Walker's three goals, then added a helper on Colton Parayko's game-winning marker. These were the first two assists of the season for the 25-year-old Finn, who also has one goal in 11 games while playing a stay-at-home role that limits his fantasy upside.
