Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad could be trade chip for Bill Zito this season
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.
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
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 31 | 38 ANSWERS Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad could be trade chip for Bill Zito this season Will the Florida Panthers trade Aaron Ekblad next season? | ||
| Yes. He has to go | 21 | 55.3 % |
| No. He's too important | 17 | 44.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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