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Sean Dyche is vying with former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini to replace Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest, sources have told ESPN, with Mancini being considered by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as an alternative to the former Burnley and Everton manager.

Forest are searching for their third manager of the season after the club announced Postecoglou’s sacking just 19 minutes after the team’s 3-0 home defeat against Chelsea on Saturday.

The former Tottenham, Celtic and Australia coach had been in his post for just 39 days, taking charge of eight games without a win, since replacing Nuno Espírito Santo last month.

But with Forest dismissing Postecoglou after his brief spell at the club, sources have said that Dyche is the favoured candidate to take over and that discussions have take place with the 54-year-old, whose connections to the club date back to his time as a youth team player in the 1980s.

Sean Dyche has been tipped to replace Ange Postecoglou as Nottingham Forest manager. Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Dyche, who was fired by Everton last season, is not a certainty to take charge, however, with Marinakis keen to assess Mancini’s qualities for the job.

Mancini, 60, has not worked in English football since being fired by City in May 2013 — 12 months after guiding the club to its first league title in 44 years — after falling out with a number of senior players at the Etihad.

Roberto Mancini, a former Premier League-winning manager at Manchester City, left his role with Saudi Arabia a year ago. Sha Kun/CFIDC/VCG via Getty Images

Mancini has since coached Galatasaray, Inter Milan and Zenit St Petersburg, but has not been involved in the club game since 2018, when he started a five-year stint as Italy coach, during which he led the Azzurri to the Euro 2020 title.

He has been out of work since leaving his post as Saudi Arabia coach in October 2024.

– How Ange Postecoglou’s eight-game Forest nightmare unfolded
– Ange Postecoglou joins list of shortest managerial reigns in Premier League era
– Watch: Is Dyche the best candidate to replace Postecoglou at Forest?

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Oct 18, 2025, 06:43 PM ET

University of Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello has emerged as a front-runner for the San Francisco Giants’ managerial job, and a resolution on a potential deal is expected in the next 24 to 72 hours, sources told ESPN on Saturday, confirming multiple reports.

Should the sides agree on a contract, Vitello would become the first manager in major league history to jump directly from a college program to the big leagues without experience in a professional organization.

Vitello, 47, led Tennessee to a College World Series title in 2024 and is regarded as one of the best coaches in college baseball. He would replace Bob Melvin, who was fired Sept. 29 after an 81-81 season, the Giants’ fourth consecutive season without a playoff berth.

San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey has considered several managerial candidates, among them former Giants catcher Nick Hundley and a pair of other former big league catchers, Kurt Suzuki and Vance Wilson. The Giants have instead trained their interest on Vitello, who has distinguished himself as one of the preeminent recruiters and talent developers in the country during a two-decade career as an assistant and head coach in college.

The buyout on his deal at Tennessee is $3 million, the same as his annual salary, sources said.

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The move from college to professional baseball is rare, though not unprecedented. Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy spent 25 years coaching in college before joining the San Diego Padres, with whom he managed in the minor leagues. Murphy then spent eight years as the Brewers’ bench coach before taking over as manager in 2024, when he was named National League Manager of the Year.

Vitello’s transition to the major leagues would come at a far more rapid pace. He would inherit a Giants team competing in a loaded National League West, with the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers clinching a World Series berth Friday night. San Francisco returns a core of first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman, and is expected to be active in free agency this winter, sources said.

After more than 10 years as an assistant coach at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas, Vitello took over a moribund Tennessee program before the 2018 season and posted a 341-131 record, advancing to the College World Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024. With a pair of eventual first-round picks and four second-rounders, Tennessee beat Texas A&M to win the school’s first baseball national championship in 2024.

Vitello, whose boisterous personality endeared him at Tennessee and chafed other SEC schools, would enter a different realm in MLB. Whereas college jobs are often defined by the success of recruiting classes, major league teams are constructed by baseball operations departments, with the manager relied upon for clubhouse cohesion, in-game decision-making, bullpen usage and daily media interactions.

The reluctance of MLB teams to dip into the college ranks for managers is long established and has run counter to the hiring practices of other professional sports leagues. NFL teams have regularly plucked head coaches from the college ranks, and in the NBA, there is no stigma associated with college coaches. The closest facsimile to Vitello’s hiring was in 2019, when pitching coach Wes Johnson left the University of Arkansas to take the same role with the Minnesota Twins. Johnson left the Twins in 2022 to accept the pitching coach job at LSU before joining Georgia as its head coach a year later.

Vitello’s philosophies on the game and personality intrigued Posey and aligned with what the future Hall of Famer hopes to build in San Francisco, sources said. In an interview with ESPN in June, Vitello said his reputation as a rabble-rouser did not bother him and that he had no plans to change his approach to coaching, which called for boundary-pushing.

“I think you don’t know where the line is until you cross it. And then you make an adjustment,” Vitello said. “I don’t want our guys, if they give them a coloring book, I don’t want them just coloring inside the lines. You know, come up with something different.”

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• Alden Gonzalez

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  Alden Gonzalez

  ESPN Staff Writer

  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.

Oct 15, 2025, 06:05 PM ET

The Baltimore Orioles, seeking a new manager to guide their young, emerging core, have expressed interest in future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols, sources told ESPN.

The Orioles have yet to formally interview Pujols but are expected to as they seek a replacement for Brandon Hyde, who was fired in the early portion of what became a disappointing 87-loss season in 2025. Tony Mansolino, who took over as interim manager after Hyde was let go in May, is among the candidates for the full-time position, but the Orioles are also conducting an external search.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias was a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals while Pujols starred for the organization in the latter half of the 2000s. Pujols, 45, still shares a close relationship with former teammate Matt Holliday, father of Jackson Holliday, the 21-year-old infielder who is now one of the Orioles’ foundational players.

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The Los Angeles Angels still appear to be the most likely destination for Pujols and remain the only team he has formally interviewed with, industry sources said. Pujols met with Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis last Thursday and is still highly considered for the job, though former All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter is also a serious candidate. The Angels’ hiring process, however, might be slowed by owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino’s involvement in the civil trial over the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

It was only a couple of years ago that the Orioles looked like a team on the rise, emerging from an aggressive rebuild to win 101 games and capture the American League East title in 2023. They returned to the playoffs with a 91-win season in 2024 but got swept out of the wild-card round and were not aggressive in their pursuit of starting pitching during the ensuing offseason. A 15-28 start led to Hyde’s firing on May 17.

The next 4½ months weren’t much better, but the Orioles are nonetheless an attractive destination due to a young, promising position-player core featuring Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo. At the moment, they are among eight teams with manager openings, along with the Angels, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Twins.

Pujols has expressed strong interest in managing at the big league level for years and led a Dominican winter ball team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Pujols was previously named manager for his native Dominican Republic in next year’s World Baseball Classic, though he would likely rescind that role if he lands a big league job this offseason.

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The New York Mets are remaking their major league staff after they fell short of a postseason berth, naming a new bench coach and lead hitting coach, sources told ESPN.

The Mets are hiring Kai Correa as their bench coach, sources confirmed to ESPN. Correa will be manager Carlos Mendoza’s right-hand man and comes to New York after a previous stint as bench coach and interim manager in San Francisco and serving as an integral part of Cleveland’s coaching staff since 2024.

Jeff Albert, the Mets’ director of hitter development, will serve as the team’s lead hitting coach in 2026 and be in uniform, sources told ESPN.

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While Albert’s title has not been defined, he was formerly the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. Albert, 44, joined the Mets in November 2022 and has worked in a development capacity, helping the team rebuild a system that has its strongest group of hitting prospects in years.

Albert also spent six years with the Houston Astros, where he worked with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. The Mets plan to bring in another coach to complement Albert, sources said, after they fired hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez as part of a staff revamp that also included the departures of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, bench coach John Gibbons, third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh and catching coach Glenn Sherlock.

Following a 45-24 start, the Mets cratered over the season’s final 3½ months and finished 83-79, losing a tiebreaker with the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League wild card spot.

The Mets’ offense finished 10th in Major League Baseball in runs scored and returns most of their core, including outfielder Juan Soto, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Brandon Nimmo. First baseman Pete Alonso said he plans to opt out of his contract and will become a free agent for the second consecutive season.

News of Correa’s hiring was first reported by Pat Ragazzo.

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Manchester United have not ruled out keeping Casemiro beyond the end of the season, but the midfielder would likely have to accept a pay cut if he wants to stay, sources have told ESPN.

The Brazil midfielder is under contract until June 2026 and as things stand will leave Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer.

United are keen to keep reducing their wage bill following the departures of high earners David De Gea, Raphaël Varane and Marcus Rashford.

Casemiro is one of the best-paid players at Old Trafford thanks to the lucrative deal he signed when he arrived from Real Madrid in 2022.

If he wants to stay at United, sources have told ESPN that he would have to agree to a sizable cut in salary.

Casemiro has made six Premier League appearances for Man United this season. Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images

The club have an option to extend his contract by an additional 12 months until June 2027. However, triggering the clause would mean having to continue to pay the 33-year-old at his current level.

Casemiro has become a key player for Ruben Amorim.

United are planning a revamp of their midfield next summer with at least one major signing expected.

But with doubts over Kobbie Mainoo‘s future and Manuel Ugarte struggling to get into the team, Amorim could make a case for Casemiro to stay.

Sources have told ESPN that he’s settled in Manchester with his family. There’s interest from clubs in Brazil and the Saudi Pro League and he can start talking to clubs outside England from January.

– Premier League big issues: Will Amorim, Ange last?
– AI agent? Ex-Utd prospect used ChatGPT for move
– Sources: Utd set for Mainoo, Zirkzee transfer talks

United also have decisions to make with Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia.

Both are in the final year of their contracts, although United hold an option to extend Malacia’s deal by an extra year.

The Dutchman is yet to feature this season since being brought back into the first-team squad after being told to train alone over the summer.

Maguire had a one-year extension triggered earlier this year. If no fresh agreement is reached, the England defender can negotiate with clubs outside England from January.

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• Bobby Marks

• Baxter Holmes

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  Baxter Holmes

  ESPN Senior Writer

  Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.

Oct 13, 2025, 02:39 PM ET

The NBA vetted and approved a $300 million sponsorship deal between the LA Clippers and Aspiration in 2021, months before the green banking company signed a separate deal with star Kawhi Leonard that has triggered a salary cap-circumvention investigation by the league, multiple sources told ESPN.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement said the Clippers submitted the 23-year agreement to the NBA for approval before it was announced in September 2021, as required under league rules because it contained a jersey patch component, the sources said.

The agreement also included signage in the team’s yet-to-be-completed arena in Inglewood, the sources said. In April 2022, Aspiration reportedly signed a separate, $28 million sponsorship deal with Leonard that was not subject to NBA review, per the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

The NBA is investigating whether the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer violated league rules by circumventing the salary cap to compensate Leonard. Following reports of the allegations, NBA commissioner Adam Silver initially said he had “never heard of the company Aspiration before,” then later revised his comments to say he was “aware of the brand.”

The NBA does not require teams to submit all sponsorship agreements for review. But some types of sponsorships, including jersey patches and signage that is viewable on television broadcasts, are subject to heightened rules or approval by the league. Sponsorships with companies tied to cannabis, gaming and energy drinks are also subject to league review.

“Teams vet their own sponsorship partners and negotiate their own sponsorship agreements,” NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement to ESPN. “Given the jersey patch’s inclusion on player jerseys and its level of exposure across game telecasts, the league reviews and approves jersey patch arrangements pursuant to league rules that are intended to avoid potential brand issues or conflicts with league partnerships.”

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A Clippers spokesperson referred questions about the league’s process to the NBA.

A sponsorship deal for a team’s jersey patch requires explicit approval of the NBA, according to official league documents obtained by ESPN. The 2021-22 league operations manual specifies that a team “must notify, and obtain the approval of, the NBA” before entering into such an arrangement and that “a team cannot announce any Patch arrangement unless the applicable Patch Sponsorship Agreement, Jersey Patch and announcement have been approved in advance by the NBA.”

The manual devotes roughly four pages to policies regarding patch sponsorship arrangements. It states that teams must submit such terms to the NBA in advance of any announcement.

The manual even dictates a patch’s size and location on the uniform, stating, “The dimensions of the Jersey Patch may be adjusted slightly, as approved by the NBA.”

The manual also specifies provisions that must be included in a contract between a team and patch sponsor. One of those provisions states that the league or the team can terminate the deal if the sponsor “becomes involved in any controversy or scandal that has or may have a negative effect on the business, reputation or the public’s perception of [the team] or the NBA.”

In September 2021, the same month that the Clippers announced their deal with Aspiration, Ballmer invested $50 million in the California-based company, according to podcaster and journalist Pablo Torre.

In April 2022, Aspiration reached a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Leonard, an agreement that an unnamed employee who purportedly worked for the banking company told Torre “was to circumvent the salary cap.”

In an interview with ESPN, Ballmer denied that he had knowledge of the endorsement contract that Aspiration eventually signed with Leonard or that he directed the company to do so. NBA rules do not prohibit teams from introducing team sponsors or companies to players, but teams aren’t allowed to be involved in subsequent negotiations. Per the collective bargaining agreement, the league does not review sponsorship deals with players.

The Aspiration logo was scheduled to be on the Clippers’ jerseys at the start of the 2023-24 season after the team’s deal with Honey expired, but it didn’t appear. In January 2024, Bloomberg News reported that Aspiration was the subject of a Department of Justice and Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigation into whether the company misled customers. At the time, the Clippers told Bloomberg that the team had terminated its sponsorship agreement with Aspiration “last season.”

Aspiration filed for bankruptcy this March with a reported debt of $170 million. The company said at the time that it owed the Clippers $30 million, the most of all its creditors.

In August, Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors said Sanberg defrauded investors and lenders out of $248 million by fraudulently obtaining loans, falsifying bank and brokerage statements, and concealing that he was the source of some revenue booked by the company.

Ballmer told ESPN that he had been reviewing his interaction with Aspiration as part of his and the team’s cooperation with the DOJ investigation into the company.

“These were guys who committed fraud,” he said. “Look, they conned me. They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage.”

Multiple sources familiar with the league’s sponsorship-vetting process said the review centers on the credibility of the company and its ability to deliver on its financial commitments.

It’s unclear whether the league conducted any further reviews of the Clippers-Aspiration agreement after approving the initial deal.

The league has hired law firm Wachtell Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules. People familiar with the process suggested the probe could take months, perhaps not concluding until after the 2026 NBA playoffs.

But those same people also noted that, per the terms of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, Silver is not solely responsible for deciding whether the Clippers will be punished, depending on the findings.

Rather, Wachtell Lipton will present its findings to the league office, and Silver will have to decide, based on those findings — or lack thereof — whether to bring any potential evidence to a neutral arbitrator appointed by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, the people said.

The arbitrator would then examine what Silver brought forth and decide the next step. The arbitrator could either grant Silver the authority to punish the Clippers or decide that there isn’t enough evidence to merit any discipline and deny him the ability to levy penalties against the team.

“The burden is on the league if we’re going to discipline a team, an owner, a player or any constituent members of the league,” Silver told reporters following the league’s board of governors meetings in Midtown Manhattan in mid-September. “I think as with any process that requires a fundamental sense of fairness, the burden should be on the party that is, in essence, bringing those charges.”

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USA Basketball is expected to hire the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra as the next head coach of the men’s national team, sources told ESPN.

Spoelstra succeeds Steve Kerr for the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics after serving as a lead assistant on Team USA’s 2024 gold medal squad.

This will be fourth straight Olympics that Team USA has a different coach: Mike Krzyzewski was the coach in 2016, followed by Gregg Popovich and Kerr.

Team USA managing director Grant Hill decided upon Spoelstra. Hill has set an internal infrastructure for Team USA’s coaching cycles: Kerr was a top assistant for Popovich before becoming head coach, and now Kerr will transfer the job to Spoelstra.

Spoelstra is a two-time NBA champion as a head coach with the Heat, leading the franchise to six NBA Finals appearances. The longest tenured active head coach in the NBA, Spoelstra has the fifth-most playoff wins in NBA history and the most victories in Heat history.

Team USA won the men’s basketball gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating France 98-87 in the final. It was Team USA’s fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal and 17th overall.

Team USA could feature considerable turnover from the team that won gold in Paris. Kevin Durant, the only four-time gold medalist in men’s Olympic basketball history, hasn’t ruled out playing one more time in 2028. Stephen Curry indicated that the Paris Games would be his one and only Olympic run, and LeBron James will be 43 when the Los Angeles Games are held.

Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Dallas’ Anthony Davis and Phoenix’s Devin Booker, all previous gold medalists, would all likely have strong chances to play in 2028 if they’d like to wear the national team jersey again. There also will likely be some first-time selections for the Olympic team, with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg sure to be among those under consideration.

Previously, USA Basketball finalized an agreement to make Duke coach Kara Lawson the coach of the women’s national team for the Olympic cycle through the Los Angeles Games.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, amid the immigration crackdown in the city, sources told ESPN Argentina’s Diego Monroig.

The friendly match was supposed to be played on Oct. 13 at Soldier Field in Chicago but will be played at Chase Stadium on Oct. 14. ESPN confirmed earlier Wednesday that negotiations to host the game at the home of Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami side had been ongoing.

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Chicago Park District spokesman Luca Serra confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the match won’t be played in Chicago.

“Yes, confirming that the Argentina against Puerto Rico match has been canceled in Chicago”, Serra said. “The promoter made the decision this morning due to low ticket sales.”

No official statement has been released by the promoter.

An Argentine Football Association executive told AP the move was because of unrest in Chicago, where President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to quell protests against the immigration crackdown.

That official spoke on condition of anonymity because the relocation had not been publicly announced.

More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since a crackdown started last month in the Chicago area. The Trump administration vowed to deploy National Guard troops in its agenda to boost deportations.

Argentina, the defending World Cup champion, will play Venezuela in another friendly match on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in the Miami area. Inter Miami plays its penultimate game of the MLS regular season on Saturday at Chase Stadium against Atlanta.

Messi was called up to play in both matches, which are part of Argentina’s preparations for next year’s World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

ESPN reporter Lizzy Becherano contributed to this story. Information from The Associated Press was also used.

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• Bruno Andrade and Cindy Garcia

Oct 8, 2025, 05:16 AM ET

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Orlando City wanted to bring Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison to Major League Soccer in the summer, sources told ESPN Brasil, although a move failed to materialise over a potential €40 million ($46.4m) transfer fee.

The MLS club wanted to sign the Brazil international to a long-term contract and make him the team’s leading figure in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup.

Orlando City were interested in signing Richarlison Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images

Richarlison, 28, insisted in the last transfer window that he was keen to continue at Spurs for at least another season. He confirmed that he had turned down an offer from a Saudi Pro League club in August as he felt a move away from London could impact his chances of playing for Brazil at the World Cup.

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Richarlison is in his fourth season with the North London outfit, whom he joined in the summer of 2022 from Everton for a deal worth £60m ($80.4m).

Under contract with Spurs until June 2027, Richarlison has scored three goals and has one assist in seven Premier League appearances this season.

He is with Brazil’s squad preparing for the upcoming international friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

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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.

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Mikkola, 29, has found his game with the Panthers, where he was a key defensive cog in each of their Stanley Cup wins. He has appeared in 46 playoff games over the past two seasons, averaging 19:23 per contest. He also scored some clutch (if unlikely) goals, including the game winner in Game 3 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Mikkola’s game blends physicality with strong skating.

“Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice,” Zito said in a statement. “He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers.”

A native of Finland, Mikkola was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round (No. 127) of the 2015 NHL draft. After three seasons in St. Louis, he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2023 as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko deal.

He signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Panthers in 2023 as a free agent. This season is the final year of that deal; the extension will kick in for 2026-27 and runs through 2033-34. Fellow Panthers defensemen Gustav Forsling, Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones have already committed to long-term deals.

Mikkola is expected to be named to the Finnish team for the 2026 Olympics in Milan.

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