Ekblad takes $6.1M annually on eight-year deal to remain with Panthers
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The Florida Panthers and defenceman Aaron Ekblad have reached an eight-year, $48.8 million contract extension to keep him in the Sunshine State, reports TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
The deal carries a cap hit of $6.1 million. TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie was first to report Ekblad and the Panthers were making progress on an extension.
McKenzie adds there is reason to believe Ekblad could have gotten long-term deal worth as much as $9 million annually on the open market.
"Obviously, even with the state tax considerations in Florida, he would be leaving considerable money on the table," McKenzie wrote Monday afternoon in a post on X before the contract was done.
Florida already worked out a deal with forward Sam Bennett last week, and are also believed to be interested in bringing back veteran Brad Marchand. According to PuckPedia, Florida currently has $11 million in projected cap space with 17 of 23 players on the roster for next season.
Ekblad, 29, recorded three goals and 33 points in 56 games for the Florida Panthers last season while averaging 23:31 of ice time.
He added four goals and 13 points in 19 playoff games while averaging 24 minutes of ice time to win his second of back-to-back championships with the Panthers.
The 6-foot-4 right-shot defenceman was also suspended 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program last season.
He is coming off an eight-year, $60 million contract that carried an annual cap hit of $7.5 million.
Drafted first overall by the Panthers in 2014, Ekblad has 118 goals and 380 points in 732 career games.
He also won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2014-15 after recording 12 goals and 39 points in 81 games while averaging 21:49 of ice time.
The Windsor, Ont., native represented Canada twice at the World Championship, taking home gold in 2015. He also represented Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in a fifth-place finish.