Latest news with #AaronEkblad
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling celebrate the Stanley Cup moment at the Coldplay Show
Panthers celebrate the Stanley Cup moment at the Coldplay Show (Image Via Twitter) Unleashing a hockey glory celebration at the Coldplay concert in Miami, Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling brought the Stanley Cup over to Hard Rock Stadium. This was indeed a moment to remember, for it was the first time the players appeared on the giant screen, creating an atmosphere louder than thunder from thousands of excited fans. What was supposed to be a peaceful night of great music ended up turning into a rollicking occasion choreographed by sports and entertainment under one roof in South Florida. Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling take the stage with the Stanley Cup THE STANLEY CUP MEETS COLDPLAY Before the spotlight went on Coldplay, the concert was also a tribute to celebrate the Florida Panthers' recent Stanley Cup triumph. Defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling could be seen chilling in and around the crowd, with the iconic trophy held high with pride. The trio received thunderous applause upon being shown on the big screen, with frontman Chris Martin going into the fun as well. He joked about Ekblad drinking from the Cup and then improvised a Panthers-themed ditty, thereby heightening the buzz in the air. Miami Night of sports, music, and unforgettable guests The charm of the night included not only playful moments onscreen but also a crossover of sports celebrities and entertainers. The Panthers' General Manager, Bill Zito, and VP of Player Engagement, Mike Huff, were there to revel in the celebration. Having made stops by the Florida Keys earlier that weekend, the Cup(s) turned out to be as much a draw as the performers themselves. Adding to the starry air was Lionel Messi , who appeared for a second on the stadium monitor with his wife and received a standing ovation from the Miami crowd. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Next on the Cup itinerary will be Ontario, where Jonah Gadjovich will share a day with hockey's most prestigious trophy. Also Read: Johnny Gaudreau's daughter Noa shines in white as a flower girl at Zach Werenski and Odette Pieters' romantic wedding Much more than a musical journey, the Coldplay concert had become a celebration for the Florida Panthers and their fans. From impromptu songs to surprise acts, it was a Miami night where hockey met harmony. FAQs Q1: Who brought the Stanley Cup to the Coldplay concert? Ans: The trophy was taken to the show by Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Gustav Forsling, players of the Florida Panthers. Q2: Did Coldplay mention the Panthers during the concert? Ans: Yes, Chris Martin joked about the Panthers and then sang a funny little ditty for them on stage. Q3: Where is the Stanley Cup going after Miami? Ans: From there, it shall set course for Whitby, Ontario, wherein Jonah Gadjovich shall lay claim to his once-in-a-lifetime day with the Cup. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida Panthers spending money to keep Stanley Cup champions in tact. What that means
Bill Zito has managed, improbably, to keep the band together in South Florida. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad and winger Brad Marchand have agreed to re-sign with the two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers, according to reports from various outlets. Advertisement Ekblad, 29, will sign an eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $6.1 million, as first reported by TSN's Bob McKenzie. Marchand, 37, will stay on a six-year deal worth $5.25 million annually, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. More: King Rat is back: Florida Panthers re-sign Stanley Cup star Brad Marchand | D'Angelo Sam Bennett, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, inked an eight-year extension June 27 worth $8 million per season. STANLEY CUP PARADE: Panthers fans brave the heat to celebrate sweet repeat Advertisement All three players could have entered unrestricted free agency July 1. Instead, they will look to lead the Panthers to the NHL's first three-peat in more than four decades. Aaron Ekblad likely to play entire NHL career with Panthers Ekblad, selected first overall by the Panthers in the 2014 NHL draft, almost certainly left money on the table to stay in Sunrise. The Athletic projected the 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed D-man's market value at $7.5 million per season. He is the Panthers' all-time leader in goals (118), assists (262), points (380) and games played (732) among defensemen. In 58 games during the 2024-25 regular season, Ekblad had three goals and 30 assists while logging 23:31 in ice time per game. TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 18: Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers celebrates after a goal is scored against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in Game Seven of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 18, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by) Ekblad missed 20 games due to violating the NHL and NHL Players Association's policy on performance-enhancing drugs, returning in time for Game 3 of the Panthers' first-round playoff series versus Tampa Bay. In total, he has missed 110 games over the past five seasons. Advertisement Brad Marchand sticks around after joining at trade deadline Jun 22, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UNITED STATES; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates with the Stanley Cup during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Marchand, meanwhile, could well go down as the most impactful trade deadline acquisition in NHL history when all is said and done — at the cost of a 2028 first-round pick. Atlantic Division rivals Boston and Toronto, as well as the renamed Utah Mammoth, were expected to enter the bidding if Marchand made it to market. He fit in seamlessly on a line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, contributing 10 goals and 10 assists in 23 playoff games to lift the Stanley Cup for the second time in his career. A former third-round pick, Marchand has played 1,100 NHL regular-season games, scoring 424 goals with 556 assists. He elevates his game in crunch time, often at the Maple Leafs' expense, with a career average of 0.88 points per playoff game. Advertisement The one risk in providing longer term on Marchand's new deal is paying him until he turns 43 years old. What's left for the Panthers to do this offseason? Prior to news breaking of the Marchand extension, Florida had just $4.9 million in cap space with which to work, per PuckPedia. However, the Panthers have Ekblad, Marchand, Bennett, Selke Trophy winner and captain Aleksandar Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling all locked up through the 2029-30 season — and each at AAVs of $10 million or less. Five Panthers are expected to test the waters on July 1, most notably third-pair defenseman Nate Schmidt. Mackie Samoskevich and Daniil Tarasov are restricted free agents, though the former is not eligible to sign an offer sheet from another club since he has only two years of pro experience. Advertisement Looking further ahead, Zito can begin negotiating contract extensions with players whose contracts expire in 2026. Starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky's seven-year deal worth $10 million per year will come off the books. Left-handed defenseman Niko Mikkola will be due a raise on his $2.5 million salary, and the Panthers will eventually need to make decisions on Uvis Balinskis, A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich. If the Panthers make any further acquisitions, it could be to fill Schmidt's void on the point — perhaps with another right-handed shot. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida Panthers keeping top players for Stanley Cup three-peat run
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How big is the ‘no-state-tax' advantage for the Florida Panthers?
The Florida Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, an incredible feat thanks in no small part to the league's savviest front office. Through a series of shrewd moves and signings spanning several years, Florida's management group has built a juggernaut on the precipice of a dynasty. And yet the conversation around what the Panthers organization has accomplished seems to center primarily on one thing: taxes, or the lack thereof in the state of Florida. Advertisement For many, it's the elephant in the room amidst the team's back-to-back glory. Yes, what the Panthers have built is exemplary, but some would argue they're playing the game on easy mode. They have an advantage that the majority of the league doesn't, affording them a greater opportunity to net meaningful discounts on cap hits that allow the Panthers to create a deeper team. In a hard-cap world, price is everything and no team gets a better price than Florida. Aaron Ekblad is the latest in a long line of examples proving that. The proof goes beyond Florida, though. We're in the midst of a no-state tax dynasty where five of the last six Stanley Cup champions and eight of the last 12 Cup finalists hail from such states. When 67 percent of the finalists come from 19 percent of the teams with the same supposed advantage, it's easy to see why there's been a vocal rallying cry against it. Is that rallying cry valid? Yes and no. As with all things in life, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle. As is the case with most online discourse, the extremes are exhausting. Those saying there's absolutely no advantage for teams in no-tax states are wrong. Those saying the no-state tax advantage is everything, or even the top reason for a discount, are wrong, too. It's challenging to identify the specific factors that contribute to a discount, as there may be multiple reasons for it. Winning culture, hometown comfort, nice weather, life quality and living costs all matter to varying degrees depending on the player. They will all have some effect on a player's choices beyond the actual salary. With that in mind, it's still worth creating a ballpark estimate on each team's average expected value per contract to compare the discounts that no-tax teams get relative to the rest of the league. Advertisement To do that, I looked at all of the UFA skater contracts signed with a cap hit over $1 million since Seattle joined the league, and compared them to the expected value of each deal at the time of signing. Essentially, what did my model expect each player to be worth and what was he actually paid? Whether a player was better than expected or a bust doesn't matter here (a major Florida advantage where every player becomes the best version of himself as a Panther); it's all about what he looked like he was worth at the time. As usual, the model is not a perfect entity, but over a large enough sample size (511 UFA deals over the last five years), it should provide a decent enough framework. To the surprise of no one, the Panthers do indeed get the best price, saving a little over $1 million on average on the cap hit of each unrestricted free agent (most of whom have been their own). And there is a discernible difference between no-tax teams and the rest — roughly $600,000 worth. On average, no-tax teams save $214,000 on each UFA cap hit while the rest of the league spends $378,000 more than expected. Over an 18-skater roster, that kind of difference can add up. To some, that evidence might be enough, but it's not quite that simple. It's the classic 'Chicken vs. Egg' problem. Are the Panthers this good because they get discounts, or do they get discounts because they're this good? This is where it gets a little tricky to separate the 'no-state-tax advantage' from the 'contender advantage.' At their core, players want to win and they want to play for winners; winning teams generally pay less market value than losing teams. Of the 42 teams that won 100 or more games (season and playoffs combined) over a two-year stretch, the average discount the next season was $315,000 — $403,000 for the no-state-tax teams and $252,000 for the rest. Of the 42 teams that won 75 games or fewer, they paid $338,000 more than expected. Essentially, the 'winner's tax' is also a $600,000 advantage and while the no-state-tax contenders do get a better deal than the other contenders, it's a much smaller gap — just $150,000. Advertisement There's a layer of truth to both sides as to what comes first, but I'm of the mind that the first step before that problem even comes to fruition is knowing a player's value and what that should cost. In a hard-cap world, pricing is everything and it's difficult to get a discount if a team doesn't really know what they should be paying. Good teams are usually smart teams and that knowledge gap is present in the discount discussion. That's not to say this model is the arbiter of truth in that regard. But it is telling that the top four teams at getting bang for their buck over the last five years are the four teams many would place among the best at doing so: Florida ($1 million), Vegas ($743,000), Carolina ($651,000) and Colorado ($610,000). Those four teams are the only teams saving $500,000 or more per cap hit and the presence of both the Hurricanes and Avalanche here suggests that savvy diligence can help significantly close the tax advantage gap. (It should be noted that the Avalanche would be on par with the Panthers if not for the Miles Wood and Josh Manson deals.) While Florida is in a league of its own, it's interesting that Carolina and Colorado are right there with Vegas — not the two other no-state-tax contenders, Dallas and Tampa Bay. Dallas gets the best RFA discount in the league (where there doesn't seem to be much of a measurable no-state-tax advantage compared to UFAs), but its UFA track record is a bit spottier (hello Ryan Suter, Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin). A majority of Tampa Bay's deals have simply been fair or modest wins, just not to the degree of Carolina or Colorado. While it can be argued that Carolina and Colorado also have an advantageous tax situation, those two cities are on par with Boston, Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis and Washington — all of which fall on the wrong side of the ledger above. Essentially, the tax advantage is beatable and it stems primarily from limiting big mistakes. The Blackhawks didn't give Seth Jones $9.5 million because of taxes. The Oilers didn't give Darnell Nurse $9.25 million because of taxes. The Bruins didn't give Elias Lindholm $7.75 million because of taxes. Columbus didn't give Ivan Provorov $8.5 million because of taxes. The Red Wings didn't give Ben Chiarot $4.75 million because of taxes. The Rangers didn't give Barclay Goodrow $3.6 million because of taxes. The Kings didn't give Cody Ceci $4.5 million because of taxes. The list can go on for almost every team, but you get the point. These are easily foreseeable problems that the savviest teams aren't in the habit of creating. The other thing is that the no-tax advantage is also not automatic, not if a team doesn't know how to use it. That's where knowing what to pay matters more than the actual advantage. Advertisement The most notable team on the list above is proof of that: the one at the very bottom, Washington's own Seattle Kraken. If the no-state-tax advantage is as large on its own accord as some believe, how is it possible that no other team pays a higher premium on contracts than a no-state-tax team? It's not the 'bad-team' tax when the Sharks pay $600,000 less (with a similarly harsh cost of living). It's not the weather when the Canucks pay $1.4 million less for the same rainy gloom. Whatever advantage Florida and Vegas are getting, the Kraken are far from it paying over $2 million more per deal than their no-state-tax brethren. Where exactly was the no-tax discount on Chandler Stephenson, Jaden Schwartz, Ryan Lindgren, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, Brandon Montour and Alexander Wennberg? Something similar can be said for Nashville under Barry Trotz. Under his guidance, the Predators have spent $425,000 more than expected per deal, with last year's free agency signings of Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault looking especially costly. There's likely a benefit to actual player acquisition where the tax advantage serves as a tie-breaker, where it's notable that the Predators reeled in the three biggest fish. But during the free-agent frenzy, that's not necessarily a good thing — not when it doesn't actually net a discount. On the contrary, for those three. While it's fair to say there is some advantage for teams in no-tax states, it's not a given — it's one that needs to be extracted by a strong management group. That primarily comes from pricing, something any team is capable of doing at the level that Florida operates at. But there's one other reason that the Panthers have been able to create so much value. And why the Kraken haven't. Signing bonuses. One of the reasons the no-state-tax advantage is not as big as it may seem on paper is the jock tax. Players are taxed according to where they play and that means that the tax benefit of playing in Florida only applies to games played at home. On the road, they're at the mercy of the jurisdiction they play in, essentially cutting the benefit in half. When it comes to a player's salary, it's a much smaller deal than simply plugging the salary into an income tax calculator. Advertisement That isn't the case for signing bonuses. Well, mostly. It's a gray area where it arguably should as it's technically part of a player's salary, but often isn't — an argument that was at the heart of John Tavares' tax case with the CRA. For signing bonuses, a player is taxed in their state of residence, allowing them to take full advantage of any tax breaks. It's here where the Panthers likely gain the most value over their no-state-tax peers, flexing the competitive advantage to its fullest extent. What do Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling and Brad Marchand all have in common — aside from being core members of the Panthers? The exact same contract structure: $1 million in base salary with the rest of the deal paid in signing bonuses. Over the last five years, the Panthers have signed 10 contracts with a cap hit north of $5 million. Eight of them have had 80 percent or more of the deal paid in signing bonuses. Of the 39 deals of that magnitude signed by the other five no-state-tax teams, only two — Jake Guentzel at 84 percent and Victor Hedman at 80 percent — have carried a similar structure. Only five others have even been north of 50 percent, with Mitch Marner's latest deal being the highest at 62.5 percent. In all, on deals north of $5 million, the Panthers have spent $420 million on signing bonuses, 81 percent of the total amount owed. The other five teams combine to $515 million and average 30 percent, with the next highest team at 51 percent. The Kraken sit at just nine percent with just $27 million of signing bonuses given out. The Panthers have given out more than that to seven players individually. This is how Florida has lapped the field to maximize the tax benefit and increase take-home pay to its fullest extent, relative to their peers. It's exactly what Seattle isn't doing. It's also something that the next CBA is addressing by limiting signing bonuses to 60 percent of a player's cap hit. For those hoping for the tax advantage to be addressed by the league, the NHL did actually do something about it (to an extent). It will still exist, but likely not to the same degree. Advertisement For Florida, that's no matter — the damage has already been done for the foreseeable future. This isn't Florida's entire advantage, far from it. But it does help explain why the Panthers are as far ahead of other smart teams such as Colorado and other no-tax teams such as Vegas. They went above and beyond to maximize expected value. Figuring out to what extent the no-state-tax advantage exists is no small task. There are a lot of collinear variables that make it difficult to tease out what goes into a discount. A winner's discount, a hometown discount, a tax discount — it's not easy to separate. For the Panthers in particular, it's a holy trinity that's created the league's best cap sheet; a perfect cycle that creates a culture of taking less to win, and winning more because so many players took less. It doesn't matter which one is the chicken and which one is the egg when the Panthers are at a point where they have everything going for them. But just because it applies to the Panthers doesn't mean it applies to every team that has the same no-tax advantage in the same way. The Panthers are the best because they know how to use it. The Kraken are a separate lesson of just how much that matters. More than anything, it's about pricing. When it comes to franchises playing by different tax rules, it's that lesson that matters most, with the Avalanche and Hurricanes being the best proof of that. The tax benefit is not everything, but being smart enough to take advantage of it can be. In the same sense, being smart enough to overcome it is all that matters. Fans can complain that some teams have it easier and they have every right to. It's not a level playing field. But it's probably more productive to point that energy inward: Why is your favorite team going out of their way to make it more difficult? — Data via Cap Wages (Top photo of Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL free agency winners and losers: Panthers do it again, good day for D, bad day for Kings
It's hard to stay at the top, especially in a salary cap world. Thirty-one other teams all want a piece of the reigning Stanley Cup champs. Sometimes, instead of finding new ways to emulate success, teams want to outright replicate it by signing players with championship experience, no matter the cost. Advertisement Most would have handed Sam Bennett a blank check. Aaron Ekblad, one of the few top-four right-handed defenders, could have signed to be a number one elsewhere. And anyone would have welcomed Brad Marchand's Rat King energy. But the Panthers have created something special in Sunrise. A few extensions (and a couple of low-key signings) later, Florida is looking to start a dynasty. That makes them one of the biggest winners to start free agency. It seemed like the Panthers were going to have to pick and choose which of their big-name free agents to extend. Instead, all three are sticking around long-term. The Ekblad contract is incredibly team-friendly; he projects to be worth his cap hit in at least seven of eight seasons. The Bennett deal is a bit of an overpayment based on his regular-season play, but there's no question that he is an absolute dawg in the playoffs, which has been pivotal to the team's success. And Marchand couldn't have been a better fit in Florida, showing exactly what he has left in the tank. Taxes can be a factor in the contract process. But it's not everything. Players are more willing to take a hometown discount when the team creates a winning environment everyone wants to be a part of. Pair that with management's strategy of interchanging depth roles with inexpensive contracts (from Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the third pair to Nate Schmidt last year and now Jeff Petry) and everything is staying sunny in Florida. It doesn't matter how well Marner played for stretches of the playoffs. The negatives outweighed the positives, from a disastrous Game 5 performance against the Panthers that pushed the Leafs to the brink of elimination, to a disappointing Game 7. But now, the good, the bad and the ugly of his Maple Leafs tenure are behind Marner. It's the start of a new era in Vegas. The Golden Knights are a perfect landing spot for Marner. The team craved help on the wings, and they found someone with elite playmaking ability and Selke-caliber defense. The test now is whether or not he can bring that regular-season energy to the playoffs. The pressure is still there to perform, it's just different now. There is no more discussion on what his next contract will look like, or whether he's just in it for the money. Marner didn't choose to sign for $14 million with a bottom-feeder. He signed for $12 million — the same as Mikko Rantanen — to stay in the contender's circle. It's still superstar money, without the pressure of being the highest-paid winger in the league. Advertisement And as cutthroat and competitive as Vegas' front office is, it's a completely different environment than the Toronto market. And that should help Marner settle in and play to his strengths, instead of worrying about all of the constant noise around him. With Marner signing early, it makes Nikolaj Ehlers the best winger on the market — and now he is one of the big winners of the day. There are a lot of teams in need of someone with his offensive creativity, so now he will have his pick of the best situation and contract. It's a good year to be a blueliner. The market was already thin heading into the offseason. Most big-name pending UFAs extended early, from Shea Theodore, Victor Hedman and Jaccob Slavin, to Esa Lindell, Marcus Pettersson, Jake McCabe and Jakob Chychrun. That made every remaining top-four defenseman that much more valuable. While the Panthers extended Ekblad with a team-friendly deal, the Blue Jackets signed Ivan Provorov to a premium at $8.5 million a year for the next seven years, when his market value is closer to $3.8 million over that span. Then, a little after the market opened today, Vladislav Gavrikov cashed in with a seven-year, $49 million contract that looks like a fit for the Rangers. Pricey defensive contracts went to the restricted free agent class too, with Noah Dobson (eight years, $9.5 million AAV), Alexander Romanov (eight years, $6.25 million AAV), Evan Bouchard (four years, $10.5 million AAV), and Martin Fehervary (seven years, $6 million AAV). Each contract carries an element of risk and upside. The defensive market is always interesting, and the rising cap added another level of intrigue. The signings over the last week have recalibrated the market, which should have a ripple effect for a 2026 class that includes Rasmus Andersson, Jake Walman and Mario Ferraro, along with RFAs Thomas Harley and Jackson LaCombe. Advertisement Montreal had taken a lower-key approach throughout this retooling process. Instead of taking big swings, management prioritized drafting and developing a core and finding reclamation projects for support. But after last year's post-4 Nations turnaround and push to the playoffs, the Canadiens are making moves. Sometimes, a playoff appearance can give a team the wrong idea about its trajectory. It can inspire big-name free agent signings to accelerate the process, instead of finding players whose timelines actually align with the team's. That isn't the case in Montreal. The Canadiens have taken two measured swings: Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc. The team is in the right position to start flipping future assets for players that will help now and in the long run. Dobson is exactly that: a difference-maker from the back end. And Bolduc is a savvy addition to the middle-six; he really found his footing in the Blues' post-4 Nations run with 13 goals and 18 points in 26 games. It started with the Yanni Gourde extension in Tampa Bay early in June. A six-year deal for a 33-year-old may seem odd, but there's a method to the madness. That allowed the Lightning to sign him for $14 million, but keep the cap hit down to $2.3 million. It doesn't matter what happens in those later years, because the Lightning's window will be closed by then. And if he ends up retiring early, so be it. It's a trend that a handful of other teams are taking note of. At 34, John Tavares will earn another $17.5 million, split across four years. That lowers his cap hit from $11 million last year down to $4.4 million, which is incredibly team-friendly for a second-line center. The same applies to Matt Duchene's four-year deal in Dallas; a $4.5 million contract should help the Stars navigate their own cap crunch. Jake Allen could have commanded more money upfront on a shorter-term deal if he had reached the market. Instead, his $9 million extension is spread out over the next five years for a $1.8 million AAV. Advertisement The key with these contracts is that they were all signed before the players turned 35. So when (or if) they retire before the conclusion of the deal, it won't count against the cap. That isn't the case in Florida, with Brad Marchand's six-year extension that takes him to 43 years old. But if that's what it takes to keep his cap hit to $5.25 million, so the Panthers can maintain cap flexibility in this window of contention, it's worth it. Usually, teams at the bottom of the standings can leverage cap space to spend big in free agency. And while stars usually don't bite, supporting players do. The Sharks signed Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg last year. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen joined the Blackhawks. Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson signed in Seattle. This year, despite so many rising costs in free agency, it has rarely been the case. There have only been a few exceptions, like Christian Dvorak in Philadelphia, Mikael Granlund in Anaheim and John Klingberg in San Jose. Those signings can be pretty important for rebuilding teams. It's a way to ensure their up-and-coming stars have actual NHL-caliber talent around them for support. It's a way to add eventual trade assets that can be moved at future trade deadlines. And it's a way to help reach the cap floor around entry-level and inexpensive contracts. The market isn't closed just yet. There are UFAs to sign, RFAs to target with offer sheets, and trade options for contenders against the cap. But it's a different feeling from last summer, when more players were willing to sign for more, even if it meant playing meaningless hockey for a time. The goalie market was incredibly weak this year. Igor Shesterkin, Linus Ullmark, Jake Oettinger, Joey Daccord, Mackenzie Blackwood, Logan Thompson, Frederik Andersen, Adin Hill, Juuse Saros and Karel Vejmelka all extended early. That took essentially every single elite goalie, bona fide starter and 1A off the market. Advertisement The Allen extension took another name out of the mix. With David Rittich, Dan Vladar, Alex Lyon and Anton Forsberg all finding new landing spots, it leaves teams with a bleak list of free agent options that includes Ilya Samsonov, Alexandar Georgiev, Spencer Martin and James Reimer. With the Red Wings freeing John Gibson from Anaheim and the Canucks extending Thatcher Demko to a pricey short-term deal, the trade market isn't booming, either. So the teams that need help in net, like the Oilers, are going to have to get creative this summer because a short list of options is almost nonexistent now. Between extending Morgan Geekie and Mason Lohrei to fair contracts, and buying low on Viktor Arvidsson, the Bruins got off to a solid start this offseason. Until the Tanner Jeannot contract. The Bruins aren't the first team to overvalue Jeannot. Just think back to 2023 when the Lightning traded a first, a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth for the winger. The difference now is that Jeannot isn't one year removed from an encouraging 24-goal campaign, where he proved to be a combination of secondary scoring and physicality. As misguided as that was in terms of acquisition cost, the player fit made some sense back then. But over the last three seasons, it's become abundantly clear that Jeannot's 2021-22 scoring was just a flash in the pan. He couldn't replicate it in Nashville, Tampa Bay or Los Angeles. Instead, he has settled into a bottom-six role and doesn't thread the needle much on either end of the ice. According to Evolving-Hockey's model, he was projected to sign a four-year deal worth $2.7 million a year, on average. His market value is even lower, at $800,000. Instead, the Bruins signed him for five years, with a $3.4 million cap hit. The Bruins could've extended Brad Marchand to make him a Bruin for life and instead they're spending their money like this on July 1. — dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) July 1, 2025 Boston may be in a position to bet on reclamation projects as the team retools back into the playoff picture. But that doesn't mean they should commit five years to someone who doesn't show a lot of potential to be a difference-maker, either. There are always missteps and mistakes in the early goings of free agency. But the biggest loser on Day 1 is clear: the Kings. The Andrei Kuzmenko extension was a promising start to the offseason, considering how well he fit in Los Angeles post-deadline. But on July 1, management made not one but two questionable defensive signings: Cody Ceci (four years, $4.5 million AAV) and Brian Dumoulin (three years, $4 million AAV). Advertisement Welcome to the Ken Holland era. There is value to being a minute-eater who can go up against top competition. That kind of player can help a team maximize the rest of their blue line. Oftentimes, that player's underlying numbers aren't going to be pretty. Ceci's numbers weren't in Dallas last year, and the difficulty of his minutes is a big reason why. But at the end of the day, it holds a contender back when they trust someone like Ceci to play those minutes in the first place. That was true in Dallas this spring and Edmonton last year. Now, expecting him to do that at 31 years old and beyond is extremely short-sighted. Dumoulin doesn't look cut out for that role, either. At this point in his career, he should exclusively be playing sheltered minutes on the third pair. Instead, he could be viewed as a lefty to step up in Gavrikov's absence. Maybe the Kings' structure can help insulate Ceci and Dumoulin. Maybe having Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson on the top pair will limit their usage to more fitting roles, too. It just doesn't make any sense to get older and slower after getting burned by the Oilers' pace and scoring in each of the last four years. It doesn't make sense to have three one-dimensional defensemen in the starting six, either, between Joel Edmundson, Ceci and Dumoulin. Just ask the Stars how well that worked for them while Miro Heiskanen was sidelined. The Kings needed to make bold changes this summer to get past the first round, but management has taken them in the wrong direction so far. Data via Dom Luszczyszyn, Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, All Three Zones, Natural Stat Trick and TheStanleyCap. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers. (Top photo of Tanner Jeannot, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand: Jessica Alcheh / Imagn Images; Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
‘Florida is home': Aaron Ekblad set to be Panthers lifer after contract extension
To Aaron Ekblad, there was almost no doubt about what was going to happen. 'It was always Florida,' the defenseman said. 'I don't think you guys understand: Florida is home.' It has been his home for 11 years now, ever since the Florida Panthers selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. It was home through a lot of the bad times, years of lean seasons and missed playoffs. And it has been home through the good times, rewriting the Panthers' record book individually and winning a pair of Stanley Cups. He's not going anywhere anytime soon. The Panthers on Monday night formally announced they have signed Ekblad to an eight-year contract extension that runs through the 2032-33 season. The deal carries an average annual value of $6.1 million. 'It means the world to me,' Ekblad said. 'Nineteen years is a long time, especially with one franchise, and I have so much pride and still a lot of expectations for my career in these eight years.' Ekblad, 29, is the Panthres' second-longest tenured player behind captain Aleksander Barkov, with 732 career regular-season games played for the organization. Ekblad also holds the franchise's defenseman records for games played (732), goals (118), assists (262) and points (380). He has battled through multiple injuries the past few years to remain in form as a top-pair defenseman, forming one of the top blue line duos in the league with Gustav Forsling, and taking more responsibility on the defensive side of the game after entering the league known more for his offensive production. His perseverance and commitment paid off in the form of consecutive Stanley Cups the past two years. 'It's special for Aaron because this is his home and he created this,' Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said. 'He was here early. He stayed on through the transition. He was a part of the solution. And then he continued to elevate himself as a player, as a leader in the room, in where he is in the community and in the room. And then for the Panthers, it's a big statement to be able to keep someone for that long, and particularly a guy of his character, his personality, what he does for everybody, the community. It's a big deal, and it was special. It was very nice.' And Ekblad has made it known that he wanted to be a Panther lifer. He played through the contract year with every intention of returning. Ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, Ekblad made an impassioned plea saying 'I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I've given my body and everything to this team, and I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they'll let me come to the rink.' But a contract still had to be agreed upon. There was going to be give and take. Eventually, Ekblad and the Panthers' front office found a sweet spot that worked for both sides. 'At the end of the day, it's negotiations and things can go one way or the other pretty quickly,' Ekblad said. 'So I'm really happy and proud that things got done, but it was a extremely stressful few days. Both sides are playing hard ball at different times, and sometimes you feel like you're getting further apart or closer together, but ultimately we came to a deal and it was the right deal and a good deal for both sides. I feel it's fair, and I feel respected, and really happy that we were able to get it done. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders that I was carrying all year.' He won't have to worry about that anymore, just like so many of his teammates. Ekblad is now one of 10 Panthers players signed through at least the 2029-30 season, giving Florida five full seasons of continuity. 'It speaks a lot about the organization and everything that they do for us and how bad guys want to play here,' Ekblad said. 'Our practice rink, our game rink, the hotels that we stay in on the road, the food that we eat, the organization does everything for us. So it's easy to want to stay here. And then the culture of winning is just a huge draw to guys. It's the most important thing. It's why we play the game. We've all been taken care of extremely well. So I don't know how many teams in the league have 10 guys locked up for five years, but it's really cool and there's a pride factor involved.' And for Ekblad, a legacy is all but secured. He'll think about that in due time. First and foremost, the focus is on continuing to build on the Panthers' current run of success. 'There's still a lot of expectation for my career and for this team and for all of us here,' Ekblad said. 'If we can continue to excel and do the right things and use the expectations and the responsibility and continue to build on it, then yeah, definitely legacy is a part of the conversation at that point. Definitely don't want to rest on our laurels, but finding a way to continue and be a successful team for the next eight years at least.'
