Panthers Sign Samu Salminen To Two-Year Contract

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with forward prospect Samu Salminen on a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry a $980K cap hit and $1.016MM AAV per PuckPedia. Full contract details are outlined accordingly:

The New Jersey Devils held Salminen’s rights until recently. The 23 year old was technically eligible to return to the college flight for a fifth season, allowing New Jersey to retain his rights beyond the August 15th signing deadline. Salminen was able to file paperwork with the NHL Central Registry expressing his desire to turn pro rather than return to college, making him subject to the August deadline and eligible for unrestricted free agency.

A new deal with Florida will move Salminen to the pro flight after four seasons in college hockey, split between the University of Connecticut and University of Denver. Salminen had a slow start to his career with the Huskies, netting 17 points in both his freshman and sophomore season through 27 and 35 games respectively. He was in need of a spark headed into his upperclass seasons – something he found with a move to the perennial National Championship-contending Denver Pioneers.

David Carle’s Pioneers offense offered a much better setting for Salminen’s talents. Rather than being the focal point of moving pucks up the ice, he shifted into a secondary shooter role much more akin to the role he filled in Finland’s junior league ahead of a third-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. The support role helped Salminen blossom in Denver – scoring 28 points in 44 games, then 29 points in 43 games over two seasons in Colorado.

Those performances did more than establish Salminen’s offense. They provided a chance for real confidence, emphasized by between 17-and-20 minutes of ice time each game. Now, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward will shift into an interesting opportunity with the Charlotte Checkers. Florida’s AHL affiliate has already offered a strong platform to shooter Sandis Vilmanis, who finished the 2025-26 season with 17 goals and 38 points in 48 games. Salminen could hope to follow a similar track into Charlotte’s top-six, while on a two-way deal that could earn him an NHL look with a strong start.