The Florida Panthers have agreed to an eight-year extension with defenseman Niko Mikkola , and as a result have locked in each of their top four defensemen until at least 2030.

Sources said the extension has an average annual value of $5 million.

Mikkola's new deal, announced Thursday by general manager Bill Zito without financial terms, comes as the Panthers begin their quest for a three-peat without two of their biggest stars. Matthew Tkachuk is recovering from offseason surgery and is expected to be back around December. Captain Aleksander Barkov tore an ACL and MCL at a preseason practice and has a projected recovery from surgery of seven to nine months.

Mikkola, 29, has found his game with the Panthers, where he was a key defensive cog in each of their Stanley Cup wins. He

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