It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. We’re in the middle of August and things have slowed down before the start of September training camps. However, there’s still plenty of chatter to feed the rumour mill. General managers are always thinking about the future and always have some tough decisions to make. The Florida Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, their roster has gone through some changes, but more may be on the horizon. This edition of NHL rumours looks at the future of one of their longtime players.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Uncertain Future of Florida Panthers Defenceman
Rumour: David Dwork of The Hockey News wonders if defenceman Aaron Ekblad has priced himself out of South Florida. Ekblad is going into the last season of his eight-year, $60 million deal.his eight-year, $60 million deal.
There have been some Aaron Ekblad trade rumors floating around, and I feel some should come with a disclaimer.
Basically, know thy Panthers.
Story @TheHockeyNews ⬇️ https://t.co/EmD7qH49uA
— David Dwork (@DavidDwork) August 11, 2024
Analysis: There had been some rumblings earlier in the off-season about a possible trade of the 28-year-old. However, those did die down a bit after Brandon Montour signed with the Seattle Kraken at the start of free agency. These rumours about Ekblad’s future could fire back up the closer we get to the end of the 2024-25 season.
The Windsor, Ontario native carries a $7.5 million cap hit and should get a raise for his play. However, he may have priced himself out of town. Panthers General Manager Bill Zito has been able to keep most of the group together barring a few departures. However, it’s going to get increasingly difficult to keep the band together.
Both Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe are going to be unrestricted free agents much like Ekblad will be at the end of the season. The salary cap may be going up with the ESPN TV deal money finally making an impact. However, the price of doing business will still go up.
Deal or No Deal?
Zito could be compelled to trade Ekblad instead of letting him walk for nothing. The former Calder Trophy winner should fetch a lot of interest despite turning 29 in February of 2025.
However, Zito is a very shrewd general manager and won’t make a move unless it makes sense. He’s hit the right notes mostly since becoming the Panthers GM in September of 2020.
Florida has a tight-nit group as Dwork mentioned in his article. Any potential players that come back in return for Ekblad have to be a fit in the locker room as well as on the ice. The Panthers have a lot of character players and that has fostered great team chemistry.
Hometown Discount
The former top overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft could go against the grain and take a hometown discount. Florida did draft him and he’s been a staple of the lineup for a decade.
Playing in the state of Florida does give Zito some advantages that he can use. Ekblad doesn’t have to worry about state taxes if he does sign a contract to stay in Florida. His money would go further if he remains a Panthers.
Players also like winning teams and the Panthers have been that the last few seasons. We’ve seen it many times that players might take a bit less to chase a Stanley Cup.
There are plenty of unknowns at this time, but Zito has pulled rabbits out of his hat before. Don’t be surprised if he does it again.
Main photo by: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
