Aaron Ekblad is getting ready to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, which is a big moment for him after spending all eleven years of his career with the Florida Panthers. Since being Florida’s No. 1 pick back in 2014, he’s really made it clear that he wants to stick with the Panthers. He’s hoping they can work out a new contract—probably something longer-term that fits well within the salary cap limits.
During the 2025 postseason, Ekblad really played a key role in the Panthers’ defense. He played almost 24 minutes per game in 15 playoff games, scored 13 points, and was a steady presence on defense. His presence on the court, knack for blocking shots at just the right moment, and experience really helped steady the team, particularly after that contentious 20-game suspension earlier in the season.
During the recent Stanley Cup celebration, Ekblad got pretty emotional—taking a moment on the ice to think about what the back-to-back title run really means for him and the franchise. He mentioned, “I’ve spent 11 years here. It’s home, and I expect it to be home.”
Beyond that, in just a few hours, the parade will begin at Fort Lauderdale Beach today. The NHL star is set to stroll on top of the victory bus after leading the blue line to back-to-back Stanley Cups. He really stepped up as a defenseman during the playoffs, putting in a ton of minutes, making crucial plays, and showing off the team’s toughness.
After all the off-ice celebrations this week, including a wild nightclub event in Miami, Ekblad expressed his excitement for the parade. He said, “Yeah, well, I guess either way, if it’s hot, that might be tough; if it rains, I’m kind of okay with that, but we can hold off on the lightning, hopefully, because that was a little bit scary last year. But no, I’m really excited for the parade; it’s going to be great. We’ll be trying to bring it.”
Image via Facebook/ @USA Today
The defenseman is really hoping for nice weather, thinking back to that lightning that surprised everyone last year. So, as the team gets set to head into Fort Lauderdale today, you can really see that Ekblad is excited to take it all in. With all these potential deals floating around, the Florida Panthers GM really has a big responsibility to handle.
The Florida Panthers GM will be making some tough calls
Aaron Ekblad isn’t the only unrestricted free agent waiting to hear something from the Florida Panthers. So, you’ve got players like Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and a few others joining in on this race. Everyone’s looking for contracts! “I ain’t f***ing leaving,” Bennett declared confidently during the Stanley Cup celebrations. Marchand was in a similar situation when he responded to a reporter asking about his contract, saying, “Give me a contract.”
The Florida Panthers have about $19 million in cap space as they head into the offseason, and it’s going to take some financial mastermind to manage all those contracts. But GM Bill Zito isn’t backing down. Rather, he is excited, stating, “I think we can bring them all back.” Yeah, he really wants everyone back on the team.
They really kept the franchise going, even with players like Marchand and Seth Jones coming in during the trade deadline. Their impact has been huge, and they’re the assets that Zito definitely doesn’t want to lose to rival teams. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can get a contract for each of them.
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