Panthers Reward Jesper Boqvist for Career Year With Contract Extension

The Florida Panthers signed Jesper Boqvist to a two-year contract extension with a $1.5 million annual cap hit that will kick in next season.

The Florida Panthers signed Jesper Boqvist to a two-year contract extension on Tuesday afternoon.

Boqvist will hold a $1.5 million annual cap hit and will be on the books until the end of the 2026-27 season.

The 26-year-old forward has a career-high 12 goals and is one point away from matching his career-high of 23 points in 59 games this season for the Panthers.

“Jesper has proven to be a highly competitive and dynamic forward who can be used in all situations,” general manager Bill Zito said in a statement. “He fits seamlessly with our group, and we are excited to have him continue his career with the Florida Panthers.”

Boqvist signed with the Panthers as a free agent in the 2024 offseason after scoring six goals and 14 points in 47 games with the Boston Bruins.

He started the season in the AHL, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 31 games with Providence, before earning a call-up and eventually becoming a mainstay on Boston’s postseason roster.

Boqvist was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the New Jersey Devils, where he scored 28 goals and 55 points in 189 games before signing with the Bruins in the 2023 offseason.

He now finds himself as an important piece to a Panthers team that has utilized him all over the lineup, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.

“I try to do my best, to be honest,” Boqvist told PucksAndPalms.com in October. “Whether it’s on the PK or [at 5-on-5] and the way we play fits my game too, the way we move our feet and get down low, so it’s been fun.”