Panthers Can't Let Aaron Ekblad Go

Despite the temptation, the Florida Panthers should hang onto their top defenseman through his final contract year.

Jun 15, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN;Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) skates against Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) in the second period in game four of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

The Florida Panthers have a a few more weeks to enjoy their first Stanley Cup championship before the defense officially begins. When the season opens, there will be plenty of questions surrounding their ability to defend the title and how long their core roster will remain together.

Top of that list is defenseman and former first overall pick of the Panthers, Aaron Ekblad. The blue liner has been a staple in Florida since 2015, but he and the organization are approaching a crossroads. Ekblad is in the final season of his contract, and despite a decade long career, he's only 28. Understandably, he is seeking another long-term, highly paid contract after the season.

Recently, David Dwork and Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News wrote about how Ekblad's name continues to surface in trade rumors despite no actual evidence that the Panthers are pursuing a trade. With Ekblad's pending unrestricted free agency, the murmurs will persist until he signs a new deal in Florida or hits the market in July of 2025. I've contributed to that chatter, emphasizing how important it is for the direction of the Panthers to make a decision on this matter.

With training camp just a few weeks away, the sense is that Ekblad and the Panthers may table this discussion until the season begins or later. The urge could be for the team to trade him, rather than to potentially lose him for nothing in free agency. However, Panthers general manager Bill Zito must resist this temptation.

The Panthers have a chance to mimic the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins and become the third repeat Stanley Cup champion in the last 10 years. The roster returns mostly unchanged, with the notable exception of defenseman Brandon Montour leaving for the Seattle Kraken. Their offensive group, led by Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Carter Verhaege, remains lethal and they have Sergei Bobrovsky playing the best hockey of his career in net.

The biggest obstacle to the Panthers going back-to-back will be their defensive performance, which will fall largely on the shoulders and legs of Aaron Ekblad. Last year was a difficult one for him outside of the team's success. Injuries limited him to just 51 regular season games, and despite playing his usual 20+ minutes per game in the postseason, he was noticeably less effective.

A healthy and motivated Ekblad could be the difference maker for the Panthers. With Montour gone, he is now the team's only dependable right-handed defender and should return to his usual role as a top-pairing defenseman playing in all situations. The Panthers could try to ship him out, but at this point that feels like a move made out of fear. If they want to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, they need to keep Ekblad around and worry about his contract after the upcoming season.

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