- Florida signed Samu Salminen to a two-year entry-level contract carrying a $980,000 cap hit
- New Jersey drafted him 68th overall in 2021 and lost his rights in August
- Read below for his Denver numbers and where he opens the season
The Florida Panthers added a forward the New Jersey Devils sat on for five years and never signed.
Florida announced Sunday that it agreed to terms with Samu Salminen on a two-year entry-level contract. The deal carries a $980,000 cap hit and a $1.016 million average annual value.
New Jersey drafted the Finnish forward in the third round, 68th overall, in 2021 and kept him on its reserve list through four years of college hockey.
Salminen was technically eligible to come back for a fifth college season, which would have let the Devils hold his rights past the Aug. 15 signing deadline. He filed paperwork with NHL Central Registry saying he wanted to turn pro instead. That put him back under the deadline, and he hit unrestricted free agency in August.
His last year of school was his best. Salminen put up 11 goals and 18 assists in 43 games for Denver, sixth on the team in scoring, with four game-winners and an “A” on his sweater.
Denver finished that season with the national title, beating Wisconsin 2-1 in Las Vegas on April 11 for its 11th championship and third in five years. Watch how the Pioneers closed it out:
Two seasons at Connecticut came first, and the transfer to Denver before 2024-25 reshaped his role into a secondary shooter rather than the guy carrying the play. He left college with 91 points in 149 games.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward can line up at center or on the wing and takes draws. He reports to Charlotte, where a strong start on a two-way deal is the quickest route to Sunrise.
