Blues played with a purpose, checked well, especially in first period; penalty kill gets the job done; new (old) top line comes through in clutch Back at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the St. Louis Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/] selected Niko Mikkola with the 127th overall pick. From there, the left-shot defenseman played his first four NHL seasons with the Blues before being traded to the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/] during the 2022-23 season. In 139 games as a Blue, he had four goals, 20 points, and 259 hits. After a brief stint as a rental for the Rangers, Mikkola signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/]during the 2023 NHL off-season. In his first season with the Cats in 2023-24, he had three goals and set a new career-high with 17 points in 82 contests. He also had 124 blocks and 198 hits. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNTg2NzM3Mjg3ODMzMjE2/usatsi_19502882.jpg] As solid as Mikkola was during his first season with the Panthers, he has taken his game to a new level this season. In 49 games, he has four goals, a new career high, and has already tied last season's 17 points. With this, the 28-year-old is taking his offensive game to a new level. He is also maintaining his steady defensive play and toughness in the process, as his plus-11 rating and 82 hits effectively demonstrate. Mikkola's solid all-around play has earned him a spot in the Panthers' top four and on their penalty kill. Overall, the former Blue seems to have found a great fit in Florida, and it will be intriguing to see how he builds on his big season from here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google News [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMjczMTg5NjQyODM5Njgw/google-news.png] Google News Stay updated with the most interesting Blues stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwreDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.