Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad could be trade chip for Bill Zito this season

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Cooper Godin
July 31, 2024 (7:59)

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Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad could be trade chip for General Manager Bill Zito this coming season.

The defending Stanley Cup champions will have lofty expectations placed on them heading into the 2024-25 season. General Manager Bill Zito lost Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on their blue line this summer, replacing the pair with Nate Schmidt and Adam Boqvist, while Jaycob Megna will also play a role on the back end throughout the year.

While the Panthers' blue line is locked in at least to start the 2024-25 season, aside from who slots in where on opening night, could we see Bill Zito move on from one of the team's big names on defence?

In a recent article on The Hockey News examining players/staff members that could be on the hot seat, Adam Proteau named Aaron Ekblad as a trade option for the Florida Panthers before the deadline, which is yet to be announced.

Proteau added that Ekblad, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, could get the Panthers a huge return in a trade, given that he's only 28 years old and still in the prime of his career. Bill Zito hasn't been afraid to off-load big names via trade in the past, most notably Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Calgary Flames in 2022.

"For the Cup-champion Panthers, it's quite difficult to give the 'hot seat' label to any member of the franchise. GM Bill Zito has locked up most of the players who won the championship to at least the upcoming NHL season, but if there is anyone who's somewhat unsettled over the long haul, it's Ekblad, who is entering a contract season in 2024-25 and earning $7.5 million. The Panthers can fit Ekblad under the salary cap ceiling this coming year, but if Zito is being proactive as he often is, moving Ekblad at some point before the next trade deadline makes a lot of sense." Proteau said.

He added, "Zito might be waiting until the NHL's trade deadline to ratchet up the asking price for Ekblad, but it's difficult to envision Ekblad getting a seven or eight-year contract extension with the Panthers. Florida's embarrassment of riches throughout the lineup means very few, if any players are untouchable. And Ekblad � who has a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a deal to 12 teams of his choosing � can help choose his own exit route from the Panthers. Now that he's been on a Cup winner, Ekblad doesn't have anything to prove to anyone, but he's still got a long road ahead in his NHL career, and the reality is the rest of his NHL days may not be spent with Florida."

Ekblad, 28, was selected first overall by the Panthers back in 2014 but has dealt with his fair share of injuries in recent years. In 2023-24, he was limited to just 51 games during the regular season due to lower-body injuries and put up 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) the lowest in a single season of his NHL career so far.

We'll have to wait and see how this story unfolds during the 2024-25 season and if the Panthers decide to shop Ekblad closer to the deadline in early 2025. Ekblad became eligible to sign a contract extension back on July 1st, but it doesn't seem that either side is in any rush to agree to terms on a deal and we could see Ekblad in a different uniform later on in the 2024-25 campaign.

Source: Adam Proteau/The Hockey News
NHL Hot Seat Radar: Ekblad Under Pressure Entering Contract Year, While GM Zito Sits Comfy with Cup-Champion Panthers