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The Florida Panthers, fresh off their 2024 Stanley Cup championship, are facing significant offseason decisions related to their roster and the financials involved with its construction.
Among those, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, could be parting ways with star defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Tough part of the biz… I’m told #TimeToHunt are shopping D Aaron Ekblad. He also switched agents this season. More on that, plus:
– #TexasHockey & Tanev
– #NHLBruins & Lindholm
– #GoJetsGo & Ehlers
– #LGRW #Flames #LeafsForever #mnwild #stlblues + more
“According to multiple well-placed sources, the Panthers are shopping 2014 first-overall pick Aaron Ekblad, who is entering the final year of his contract, and have already had discussions with some teams about his availability,” Pagnotta wrote on June 27.
Ekblad, 28, has a modified no-trade clause in his contract. The blueliner signed an eight-year, $60 million deal with the Panthers in 2017 and is entering the final year of the contract.
The clause transitions to a 12-team no-trade list on July 1, coinciding with a $3 million signing bonus due to Ekblad. Before that date, Ekblad will still have a full no-move clause.
Ekblad’s Status in Florida and Run to the Championship
Ekblad has been a cornerstone for the Panthers since entering the NHL in the summer of 2014. The Panthers drafted Ekblad with the No. 1 pick then. Ekblad played 51 games in 2024, recording 18 points, including 4 goals and 14 assists.
That’s a clear downtick in production. The 18-point tally is Ekblad’s career lowest. Ekblad scored 38 points in 2023 and 57 in 2022.
“It is unclear what the Panthers are looking for in exchange for Ekblad, who recently switched agents and is also no longer represented by Dave Gagner at Wasserman Hockey – his new agent is Craig Oster at Newport Sports,” Pagnotta reported.
Ekblad’s preference is to stay in South Florida. He could sign a contract extension starting on July 1, 2024, and according to Pagnotta, he could offer Florida a hometown discount to make it happen.
“It is my understanding his preference is to stay in South Florida and that he would be willing to take a ‘hometown discount’ on an extension, but that hasn’t prevented Panthers GM Bill Zito from exploring the trade market,” Pagnotta wrote.
Finally, Pagnotta listed a few clubs that could show a potential interest in trading for the blueliner, including the Utah Hockey Club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Nashville Predators.
Could the Maple Leafs trade for Ekblad?
At the start of June 2024, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun speculated the Leafs might stumble upon an elite defenseman if all stars align, and his prediction has now turned into a reality according to Pagnotta’s report.
“Florida wants to re-sign Montour who is a pending free agent, as is the 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart,” Simmons wrote on June 2. “The thinking is, the Panthers will look to trade veteran Aaron Ekblad at the end of the season and use his money to keep Montour. Reinhart may sign a tax-friendly deal brought to you by the state of Florida.”
In the eyes of Simmons, the Panthers would need to deal someone away to create some salary room and relief to re-sign other players. Now, Pagnotta’s report points toward that happening as Ekblad has been put in Florida’s trade block.
The Panthers have $18.6 million in cap space entering July 1 but only 15 of 23 players are under contract. PuckPedia projects the Leafs to have $19.7 million in cap space also with just 15 rostered players.
Toronto could try and make the numbers work during the offseason as they are seemingly delaying business with the low-talent free agents (such as Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi) to prioritize acquiring elite-level players.
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Panthers Place Star Defenseman on Trade Block: Report