Panthers re-sign Sandis Vilmanis to two-year extension

The 22-year-old Vilmanis scored three goals and added two assists for five points in 19 games with Florida in 2025-26. He also produced 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 48 games with the Panthers’ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

“Sandis is a skilled, competitive young player whose positive attitude and strong work ethic have allowed him to succeed at every opportunity he has earned,” Panthers’ president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said in a press release. “He continues to take real strides in his game and we’re proud that he has committed to a further two years in South Florida.” 

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In 109 career AHL games, he has 26 goals and 39 assists for 65 points. He also recorded three goals and four assists for seven points in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games during Charlotte’s run to the Final in 2025.

A fifth-round pick for the Panthers in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Vilmanis spent two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, where he scored 58 goals and added 54 assists for 112 points with the Sarnia Sting and North Bay Battalion.

Internationally, Vilmanis has represented his native Latvia on multiple occasions, including the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. At the 2026 World Championships, he scored four goals and added seven assists for 11 points in eight games, leading Latvia in points.

He also took part in three separate World Junior Championship tournaments (2022, 2023, 2024), where he scored three goals and added four assists for seven points in 16 games.