Panthers sign Denver champion Samu Salminen to two-year ELC
The 23-year-old Finnish center, a former Devils third-rounder, is headed to Charlotte with a $980,000 NHL salary.
The Panthers signed Finnish center Samu Salminen to a two-year entry-level contract on Sunday. The 23-year-old was a Devils third-round pick in 2021 who reached free agency after four college seasons, and he's expected to start the year with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.
The deal
The contract carries a $980,000 NHL salary and $87,000 in the minors, per The Hockey News. That's about as cheap as a lottery ticket gets.
Salminen split his college career between UConn and Denver, two years at each. Last season he wore an A for the Pioneers, put up 11 goals and 29 points in 43 games, and won a national championship. He also led Denver with 376 faceoff wins at 54 percent, per the team's release.
The résumé goes back further. He captained Jokerit's under-20 side in 2021-22 and captained Finland at the 2021 U18 worlds, where he had nine points in seven games. He's listed at 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds.
Bill Zito's line in the release: Salminen is "a reliable playmaking forward who played a significant role on Denver's national championship team."
Why it matters
New Jersey drafted him 68th overall and let him walk. That happens plenty with college seniors, and sometimes the fit just isn't there. Our read is that Florida's scouts saw a big center who wins draws and doesn't cheat for offense. That's a profile this staff loves.
There's a Denver connection too. Salminen was a teammate of Panthers prospect Jack Devine, who had an assist in Sunday's preseason opener. Charlotte's coaches now get two guys who already know each other's habits.
Ferda Take
This is a depth-chart move, not a headline move. Florida's center spine is Barkov, Sam Bennett, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, and none of them is going anywhere. Salminen's path to Sunrise runs through Charlotte, through the penalty kill, and through being the guy who wins a defensive-zone draw in the last minute.
That's fine. The Panthers have built two Cup rosters by finding fourth-line centers who eat minutes and don't need the puck to be useful. A 23-year-old with a national title, a captain's history and a $980,000 salary if he ever gets called up is exactly the kind of bet you make in September.
If he becomes a regular NHLer, it's a steal. If he becomes a good Checker, it cost nothing. Zito has made a habit of turning those into something.
What's next
Salminen is expected to report to Charlotte, per The Hockey News. Keep an eye on the AHL's opening weekend in October. If he's centering Devine and killing penalties, the plan is working.