Panthers’ Eetu Luostarinen out day-to-day with lower-body injury
A notable omission from the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions’ lineup.
When speaking to the media, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice revealed that forward Eetu Luostarinen will not be in the lineup for the team’s matchup with the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night and is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Eetu Luostarinen is out tonight. Day to day with a lower body injury per Paul Maurice
Mackie Samoskevich moves up to the line with Lundell and Marchand
With the opening in the lineup, Maurice told reporters that forward Mackie Samoskevich will be bumped up to the top line alongside Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand.
It was never revealed exactly what is ailing Luostarinen, nor did Maurice state when he was hurt. The Finnish center has appeared in each of the team’s first 18 games of the season, including this past Saturday, when the Panthers fell to the rival Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-1. Luostarinen registered 15:26 of ice time, one of the lowest totals of the young season, with his last shift coming with about five minutes to go in the game.
Luostarinen has had a solid start to the 2025-26 campaign, scoring three goals and seven assists for 10 points. Three of those points came last Thursday, when the Panthers skated away with a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. That game saw the 27-year-old pot his first goal in four games.
Luostarinen’s numbers have not been as strong as they were when he posted a career-high 43 points during the 2022-23 season. However, he has managed to be an effective player in a depth role for a team that has gone on to win back-to-back championships. Last spring, he posted 19 points in 23 playoff games, the most in one postseason for the former second-round pick.
The Siilinjarvi native might have a better season, offensively, with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov out for an extended period of time, with the latter expected to miss the entire regular season.