2025 Stanley Cup Champions
Aaron Ekblad: ‘Happy I Got Drafted’ by the Florida Panthers
SUNRISE — Aaron Ekblad has been through quite a bit and has seen some things since the Florida Panthers made him the top pick of the 2014 NHL Draft over 10 years ago in Philadelphia.
The Panthers actually were on the upswing when Ekblad joined them, new coach Gerard Gallant helping the team to a 25-point improvement with Jaromir Jagr joining the team that year at the trade deadline.
In Ekblad’s second season, the Panthers won the Atlantic Division and made it to the playoffs for just the second time since 2001.
Things were looking up.
And then, they were not.
The Panthers missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, slipped into the expanded postseason in 2020 before getting bounced by the Islanders.
Things got better fast.
The Panthers have not missed the playoffs since 2019 — if you count the bubble, which Ekblad emphatically does.
Ekblad, the second-longest tenured player on the team after Sasha Barkov who was drafted second overall in 2013, says he would not have changed a thing.
After winning the Stanley Cup twice, why would he?
“That’s a lifelong dream, right? It’s everything you work for forever,’’ Ekblad said Saturday. “So how does that feel? It’s incredible. To be a part of it is surreal, and I’m so grateful and so lucky. Happy I got drafted by the Florida Panthers.”
Ekblad and the Panthers gathered at Amerant Bank Arena for the final time this season for exit day interviews and it could have been his final trip to the rink as a member of the organization.
A free agent come July 1, the Panthers and Ekblad both have some decisions to make.
Florida GM Bill Zito says he is confident he can sign all three of his premier free agents in Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand despite only having $19 million under the salary cap for next season.
Perhaps a cap-clearing trade is coming; maybe Marchand takes a structured contract that spreads out his cap hit over a longer amount of term (say, four years?).
Matthew Tkachuk may need extensive and serious surgery this summer which could put him on the shelf for another extended amount of time freeing up some money.
Whatever.
Ekblad wants to stay with the Panthers, and the Panthers want to keep Ekblad.
We’ll see how it all works out.
“That’s part of who I am at this point,’’ Ekblad said when asked about staying with the Panthers. “I’ve spent 11 years here, and that’s more than I’ve spent in any home or city in my life. So it’s home, and I expect it to be home.
“Conversations have been had, you know, obviously nothing material yet, but they’ll be working on it. Things like to seem to come down to the last minute here.”
Yeah they do.
But the end results have pretty much worked out.
Perhaps everything works out again this time as well.
“It’s an elite program,’’ Ekblad said of the Panthers. “It’s the best organization in the league. We do everything the best, and we’re still on an upward trajectory after winning two Stanley Cups in a row and three Stanley Cup Finals in a row, so it’s incredible.
“I’m so proud of that, because I’ve been here for it. And, yeah, it’s amazing. I can’t say much else about it.”
2025 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
FLORIDA PANTHERS
UP NEXT
- 2025 Stanley Cup Championship Parade/Rally: Sunday, Fort Lauderdale Beach; noon
- 2025 NHL Draft: June 27-28, Los Angeles (Panthers have six picks in Rounds 4-7)
- Start of NHL Free Agency: July 1
- Panthers Development Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early July
- Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
- Prospect Showcase hosted by Tampa Bay Lightning: Early September
- Training Camp: Mid-September
- Exhibition Games: Late September
- Opening Night: Oct 7-9 (opponent, time, date TBA)
