Aaron Ekblad seems to confirm his future with Panthers
Photo credit: Detroit Hockey Now
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has played his entire career in Florida and helped them repeat as Cup champions, seemed to confirm his future with the club.
Once again, the Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions, beating the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final.
Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy, while Brad Marchand, who was acquired from the divisional foe Boston Bruins at the Trade Deadline, scored 6 goals in the Cup Final alone.
Both players are pending UFAs, and the sentiment is that the Panthers have a good chance to bring both back. But one player who has spent even longer playing with Florida is defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
His future in Florida doesn't seem as clear despite saying weeks ago that he wants to play with the Panthers for as long as they'll allow him inside their building.
During a Panthers victory party, Ekblad gave an emotional speech that many are interpreting as his way of potentially saying goodbye.
I'm so grateful to you guys for allowing me to speak I've said a lot in my interviews that we always got hope when we had Sasha Barkov. The organization made a f*** incredible trade I love every single f***g one of my teammates. Thank you, fans. Thank you guys.
Ekblad's contract, an 8-year, $60 million deal that had an AAV (average annual value) of $7.5 million, expires on June 30.
One club he's been linked to in free agency to is the Detroit Red Wings, who want to make big upgrades to their defense in the summer.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 20 | 195 ANSWERS Aaron Ekblad seems to confirm his future with Panthers Would Aaron Ekblad look good on the Red Wings blue line? | ||
| Yes | 165 | 84.6 % |
| No | 30 | 15.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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