A 37-year-old former Stanley Cup Champion is perhaps chasing another ring as he has signed with the Florida Panthers. Today, a new Lars Eller contract was announced. Let’s break it down.
Credit Image: © Alex Edelman via ZUMA Wire
Centre Lars Eller Contract Details Announced
The #FlaPanthers signed 37 y/o F Lars Eller to a 1 year $850K cap hit, $1.1M AAV contract
$850K Salary
$250K Performance Bonus – $50K at each 30/40/50/60 GP and for winning Stanley CupRep'd by Craig Oster @TheHockeyAgency https://t.co/sCiKwFpdvO
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 1, 2026
The deal is a one-year contract, with a salary cap hit of $800K. However, there is an additional $250K available in performance bonuses, therefore, making his average annual value fall at $1.05 million.
When you think about a reliable, veteran, fourth-line centre, Lars Eller is definitely up there. This is a guy with nearly 1200 regular season games, and 17 NHL seasons under his belt, soon to be 18. 12 of those 17 seasons he has managed double-digits goal totals. Additionally, his play over his Stanley Cup Playoff career has been quite notable. He has 50 points in 116 games, over 13 appearances. In the Cup run for the Washington Capitals in 2018, he had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 24 games.
As he has gotten older, he has really locked down his faceoff prowess. A career 50.5 percent faceoff rate, he has been 52.2%, or better, in each of the last four NHL campaigns.
Ellers Still Gets It Done
As the new Lars Eller contract is announced, let’s take it back to last year in Ottawa, where he played 68 games, recording five goals and adding ten helpers, over just 11:27 of average ice time. That included a success rate of 54% on the faceoff dot. Furthermore, although he was not a top option, he did get ice time on each of the power play and penalty kill.
In addition, his veteran presence was excellent for supporting guys like Warren Foegele or providing mentorship for rookie Stephen Halliday. He was the perfect fourth line player, and will look to do the exact same thing again in 2026-27.
Now he has a similar role to play on the Florida Panthers. The Panthers have made some changes to try to refine their roster, namely acquiring Brady Tkachuk and goaltender Jacob Markstrom. For the powerhouse team, these moves are enough to tip the scales in their favour.
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
