Gety Trade pitch sees the Detroit Red Wings acquiring Aaron Ekblad.
The Florida Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and one key player from the team, Aaron Ekblad has been the subject of trade rumors.
Ekblad was drafted first overall by the Panthers in the 2014 NHL draft and he’s set to enter the final year of his eight-year $60 million deal. With Ekblad having one year left on his deal his name has come up in trade rumors.
The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would see the Detroit Red Wings acquire Ekblad in a blockbuster.
Red Wings get:
Panthers get:
- Ben Chiarot
- 2026 second-round pick
At first glance, the return for Ekblad may seem light, but Chiarot has two years left on his deal and makes $2.7 million less than Ekblad. With the extra cap space, Florida can add another player to make their team deeper while also getting a second-round pick which they can use in a trade or keep.
Chiarot would help replace the hole Ekblad would leave and would keep the Panthers’ defense solid. Last season with the Red Wings, Chiarot recorded 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 77 games.
The Red Wings, meanwhile, would bolster their defense by bringing in Ekblad who is one of the top defensemen in the NHL. Ekblad recorded 1 goal and 14 assists for 18 points in 51 games. The former first-overall pick could be on the second-pairing on the right side behind Moritz Seider as having those two down the right side would make Detroit’s D-core one of the best in the NHL.
Ekblad Named as a Trade Candidate
Ekblad is one of the top players for the Panthers and has been the face of the franchise since he was selected first overall in 2014.
However, with Ekblad entering the final year of his deal, NHL insider David Pagnotta mentioned the defenseman as a trade candidate this summer.
“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. Ekblad, 28, will see his full no-movement clause shift to a 12-team no-trade list July 1, when he is also due a $3 million signing bonus,” Pagnotta wrote in his article on June 27.
If Ekblad is indeed available for trade there will likely be several teams interested in the defenseman.
Red Wings Still Need to Sign 2 Key RFAs
Detroit has had a decent offseason, most notably signing Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.
However, the Red Wings still have star forward Lucas Raymond and star defenseman Mortiz Seider unsigned as both are RFAs. Detroit’s GM Steve Yzerman has said he’s open to both long-term and short-term deals with both players.
“I guess I would leave it to you to judge for yourself — there’s a lot of them out there, how many of them are proving value to the team?” Yzerman said to The Athletic. “And then you look at, ‘OK, how much more would they get if they were unrestricted free agents?’ The term and the dollar has got to work for both parties. And you have to pay a player enough that he’s willing to lock up to give you eight years, but also it can be dangerous if you’re paying an extreme premium for potential.
“Because a lot of times it can be difficult, and if you don’t have a cap issue or any concerns, then you don’t worry about it as much. But those deals make you have cap issues, as well. I’m certainly open to it. The term, the dollar amount has got to work for both parties, and that can be a challenge at times.”
Raymond and Seider are two of Detroit’s top players and both are former first-round picks.
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Trade Pitch Has Red Wings Acquiring Former 1st-Overall Pick in a Blockbuster