Latest news with #Panthers
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- 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
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nathan Cleary lifts lid on act from father Ivan after heartbreak for Penrith half
Nathan Cleary says a pre-game chat with his father and coach Ivan helped him get over the disappointment of his Origin series defeat with the Blues and inspire Penrith to victory against Parramatta. The Panthers coach started his superstar No.7 off the bench against the Eels on Sunday, but the NSW playmaker's introduction after 25 minutes helped them overturn a four-point deficit in the first half into a 32-10 win that included a game-sealing try for the halfback. Cleary was desperate to banish the demons of the Game 3 defeat to Queensland on Wednesday night in Sydney, where he was admittedly well below his best. But he had to start from the bench against the Eels for just the third time in his career, with Penrith's coach citing concerns around the halfback's workload, having decided to rest NSW Origin trio Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o and Liam Martin. Despite missing a host of their best players, Penrith were still able to get the job done for a fifth-straight win that cements their spot in the top-eight, having been dead-last on the ladder six weeks ago. And Cleary says the win was important in helping him move on from the heartbreak of Origin. "I didn't really want to say it to dad but I still woke up thinking about it this morning," the Penrith No.7 said about the Blues' series defeat. "I don't know if you ever fully get over it to be honest but I also had a good chat with him yesterday that made me feel a lot better after it." The Penrith half conceded he was torn by emotions of 'self-loathing' and 'embarrassment' after the Game 3 loss to Queensland, but used it as fuel to help him inspire Penrith. 'I think in the past I've probably, after a poor Origin performance, just tried to squash it and act like it didn't happen,' Cleary said. 'This time I actually saw it as an opportunity to analyse it a bit more and try and delve a bit deeper into why I didn't perform the way I wanted to and why it went the way it did. I came to the conclusion that it's only going to help me. It's only going to help me grow as a person and a player. 'Playing today gave me a good opportunity to test my character, too. I think that's an important thing. It's about how you move on and how you present to the team. You can only kick stones and feel sorry for yourself for so long. I didn't want to drag that into today's performance." The fact the champion halfback was able to inspire his side to a comeback win was all the more pleasing for his coach, who said his son 'negotiated pretty hard' to play after the pain of the Origin loss. "It was pretty obvious that Nat was pretty disappointed and emotional after the (Origin) game on Wednesday," Cleary senior said about his son, whose bounce-back display against the Eels 'didn't surprise' him. RELATED: Sam Walker's future cast into doubt after news about father and uncle Cooper Cronk calls out worrying Reece Walsh moment for Broncos Nicho Hynes reveals gesture for Cameron Munster after tragedy "He negotiated pretty hard to play this game... and when he was doing that I thought it was a good sign. And I get it, you just want to get back out there. Origin is a big thing but everyone will forget about it after this week and I'm sure it'll be easy for him to sleep after this game... "Rugby league is not who he is, it's what he does. On Wednesday night NSW were soundly beaten across the board and yes, Nat will be the first to say he could have played better and I'm sure a lot of other guys could have too. But it's the biggest game on the biggest stage and sometimes it just doesn't work out." with AAP
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Kirk Cousins reflects on benching with Andy Dalton in 'Quarterback' finale
Panthers backup QB consoled Kirk Cousins after losing starting job to Michael Penix Jr. Getting benched in the NFL is not an easy thing to accept, especially for a 13-year veteran like Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Nine months after signing a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta, Cousins lost his starting job to first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. Season 2 of Netflix's "Quarterback" series highlighted a conversation that took place between Cousins and Panthers backup Andy Dalton following the 2024 season finale. The Falcons quarterback had a lot on his mind when asked by Dalton how he was doing. "Yeah man, it's been three weeks and it's felt like three months," Cousins told Dalton. "I was just turning the ball over. I just couldn't figure it out. For me, the turnovers have come in bunches in my career. Like in Washington, I got benched my third year and then one year, I was leading the league in picks halfway through the year but then I was able to flip it around and play a lot better after the bye, but same thing happened here." Cousins was referencing the 2020 season where he threw 11 interceptions in the first six weeks. However, he bounced back by throwing just three picks over the final 10 games of the year. However, we did not see that sort of turnaround for Cousins in Atlanta. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2015, Cousins has thrown for more than 10 interceptions seven times. Last season, he passed for a career-high 16 interceptions in just 14 starts. Only once did Cousins get through a game without turning the ball over in a Falcons uniform. During his last five games as the team's starter, the 36-year-old threw nine interceptions and fumbled the football five times. For comparison, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield tied Cousins for the league lead in interceptions (16), but Mayfield threw for over 40 touchdowns as well. Cousins passed for just 18 touchdowns, which was his lowest total from a season in which he started at least 10 games. The Falcons will likely keep the veteran quarterback around as a backup in 2025, assuming they can't find a trade partner before the season begins.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: CB Jaden Davis
We will preview every player on the Cardinals roster leading up to training camp. This is about CB Jaden Davis. The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team. Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook. Next up is cornerback Jaden Davis. Jaden Davis background, 2024 season Davis was selected out of Miami by the Cardinals in 2024 with the so-called 'Tillman Pick,' 226th overall in the seventh round of the draft. That's the slot where safety Pat Tillman was chosen in the 1998 draft. Davis did not survive the roster reduction to 53 players, but spent the entire season on the Cardinals practice squad. He won the Pat Tillman Scout Team Player of the Week award for the practice work he did in preparation for the Week 16 game against the Panthers. Those weekly winners wear a No. 40 practice jersey, the number Tillman wore with the Cardinals. Jaden Davis 2025 contract details, cap hit Davis signed a one-year futures contract on Jan. 6 worth $840,000, which is also his salary-cap charge. 2025 questions, roster outlook With a year of practice under his belt, Davis hopes to find a way to land a spot on the 53-man roster. Realistically, it will be difficult because of the other talent on hand, so there might be more time spent on the practice squad. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Florida Panthers' Physicality And Talent Produced A Cup. Is It A Trend?
Did the 2024-25 Florida Panthers start a trend en route to their second-straight Stanley Cup? Time will tell, but the Panthers were an NHL anomaly – a hard-checking team that was both talented and tough, a rare combination for a champion. Since the days when the Philadelphia Flyers were known as the Broad Street Bullies in the 1970s, few teams have led the league in penalty minutes and won the Stanley Cup. Going back 50-plus years, there have been only five teams that won the Cup after leading the league in penalty minutes during the regular season. Those five teams: This year's Panthers, the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks and the Flyers in 1973-74 and 1974-75. The Panthers, who were 10th in the NHL with 21 fights this season, didn't get into nearly as many scraps as those Flyers teams, but they didplay with an aggressive, hell-bent style. All five of the aforementioned teams did more than flex their muscles and play with a physical edge. Much more. They all had several standouts to complement their chippy players. Let's take a look: The physical members of the Broad Street Bullies – Dave (Hammer) Schultz, Bob (Hound) Kelly, Andre (Moose) Dupont and Don (Big Bird) Saleski – received most of the publicity, but the Flyers oozed with talent. Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Rick MacLeish and Ross Lonsberry each had 30-plus goals, Bernie Parent was the league's best goalie (1.89 goals-against average, .932 save percentage), and the defense was superb, especially at clearing bodies in front of the net. The defense was anchored by Barry Ashbee (plus-53), Dupont (plus-34), Jimmy Watson (plus-33), Ed Van Impe (plus-31), Joe Watson (plus-28) and Tom Bladon (plus-25). The Flyers had seven players with more than 100 penalty minutes, led by Schultz (348 minutes) and Dupont (216). The Flyers were in the middle of a span in which they led the league in penalty minutes a staggering 11 straight times. But they also topped the NHL in fewest goals allowed and used the same formula as the previous season to win another Cup. Brawn, plus talent, equaled sensational results. In addition, the Flyers added hard-shooting right winger Reggie Leach, and he responded with a team-leading 45 goals. Schultz topped the NHL with 472 penalty minutes, and most of the players, like this year's Panthers, played with an edge and an unparalleled intensity. Anaheim started the year at +1200 to win the Cup, but they overcame the odds with hard-nosed play, timely scoring, and excellent goaltending and defense. Though the Ducks' league-leading 1,457 penalty minutes paled in comparison to the Flyers' total in 1974-75 (1,955), they played with a physical nature that was keyed by Shane O'Brien, George Parros, Travis Moen, Sean O'Donnell, Chris Pronger, Brad May, Shawn Thornton and the Niedermayer brothers, Scott and Rob. Pronger (plus-27), playing in his first season in Anaheim, anchored the defense, ageless Teemu Selanne scored a team-leading 48 goals, and goalies Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2.26 GAA, .918 SP) and Ilya Bryzgalov (2.47 GAA, .907 SP) were terrific. The Ducks also had a strong penalty kill, which was needed because Anaheim was shorthanded 121 times in 21 playoff games that year, killing 86.8 percent of the infractions. In a regular season shortened to 56 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tampa Bay won the Cup after a regular season in which it led the NHL with a modest 597 penalty minutes. Pat Maroon (60 minutes), Barclay Goodrow (52) and Luke Schenn (51) were the penalty leaders for the Bolts, who won the Cup more on scoring and goaltending than their physical play. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.21 GAA, .925 SP) was brilliant in net, and five players scored at least 15 goals, led by Brayden Point (23), Steven Stamkos (17) and Yanni Gourde (17). Nikita Kucherov, who missed the regular season after undergoing hip surgery, had a league-best 32 points in 23 playoff games. In the Finals, the Lightning outscored the Canadiens, 17-8, as they coasted in five games. The Sunshine Bullies topped the NHL with 853 penalty minutes in the regular season, then led the league, by far, with 370 penalty minutes in the playoffs. A punishing, physical style was part of the Panthers' trademark, and the team became even chippier after it acquired Brad Marchand in March, sending Boston a conditional second-round selection in the 2027 draft. In short, the Panthers were hard to play against. They won board battles, outmuscled opponents for pucks, and flourished with their physical style of play. The Panthers were also second in the NHL in penalty minutes in 2023-24, a year in which they won their first Cup. A.J. Greer, Sam Bennett and Niko Mikkola were the Cats' penalty-minute leaders in the regular season, but most of the team played with an edge and gave opponents little time or space on the ice. Sam Reinhart (39 goals, 81 points), Aleksander Barkov (20 goals, 71 points), Matthew Tkachuk (22 goals), Carter Verhaeghe (20 goals) Bennett (25 goals) and Marchand (10 goals in 23 playoff games) led the offense. Meanwhile, the D got strong performances from Gustav Forsling, Dmitry Kulikov, Mikkola, Aaron Ekblad and Nate Schmidt. And, as with all the teams on this list, the goaltending was top-notch. Sergei Bobrovsky, a future Hall of Famer, had a 2.44 GAA and .905 save percentage in the regular season, then was even better in the playoffs (2.20 GAA, .914 SP). It all added up to another Cup, and it will be interesting to see if other teams try to copy their formula. 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