Sources: Panthers, Ekblad agree on 8-year deal

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad won't beryllium hitting the unfastened market.

The Panthers and their top-pairing defenseman agreed to an eight-year hold carrying a $6.1 cardinal average-annual value, sources told ESPN, confirming reports. The hold volition support Ekblad from becoming an unrestricted escaped agent. TSN was archetypal to study quality of the deal.

The 29-year-old blueliner would person been 1 of the astir coveted players disposable erstwhile NHL escaped bureau opens connected Tuesday and helium near perchance millions of dollars per play connected the array to instrumentality with Florida.

Ekblad had bully crushed not to research his options. The Panthers conscionable won their 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup title aft making a 3rd consecutive travel to the Final. General manager Bill Zito has besides prioritized taking attraction of the team's own, signing Sam Bennett -- the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy victor arsenic NHL playoff MVP -- to an eight-year, $64 cardinal hold earlier this month.

Florida primitively drafted Ekblad archetypal wide successful the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He's been a important contributor to their blueline ever since, amassing 118 goals and 380 points successful 732 vocation games. Ekblad's past 2 regular seasons person shown a downturn accumulation -- he's managed lone 7 goals and 51 points successful 107 games -- but helium carries implicit 23 minutes per crippled and is simply a beingness connected the powerfulness play and punishment kill.

Ekblad's availability was besides impacted during the 2024-25 run by a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL/NHLPA show enhancement substances programme that carried implicit into the postseason.

The playoffs were wherever Ekblad began to radiance again arsenic a apical contributor, signaling 4 goals and 13 points successful 19 games arsenic Florida bushed Edmonton for a 2nd consecutive play successful the Final.

Now that Zito has committed to Ekblad and Bennett, there's a question of whether the club's different cardinal pending escaped cause -- guardant Brad Marchand -- volition beryllium sticking around, too. Marchand was acquired by Florida up of the March commercialized deadline and was integral to their playoff success, collecting 10 goals and 20 points successful 23 games.

The Panthers presently person $4.9 cardinal successful headdress abstraction disposable for the coming season, according to Puckpedia.