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40 Comments
Top 6 defense could look very different ekblad could be traded, montour, oel and kulikov all free agents. Forsling and Mikkola are the only ones locked up past 2025
Ekblad should retire and work for the team as an advisor,public relations guy. His injury history is extensive plus his wife is established in the area. Why leave.
So… Now we start to see how the "cup tax" will affect cats. Tampa lost in 3 long summers whole 3.rd line an that… Well ate lot of effectivenes. So lets see what cats are loosing
Will someone really take the ekblad contract…
Hope Ekblad just takes a team friendly deal and stays. He's said countless times during interviews this season how much he loves this franchise and wants to stay.
Keep ekblad man he is just one of us and I’d hate to see him in another jersey. I get the cap considerations but I’d rather trade Bennett to add some cap space. I think lundell is ready to start as 2C next season. I love the guy but if it’s him or ekblad or montour for that matter it’s eck. It’s just his injuries that worry me
Friedman said the Reinhart deal is basically done at 9-9.5 mil AAV. If that’s the real amount then I’m sure somebody is gonna get traded to make room, and to me Ekblad is most likely unless he wants to take a pay cut to stay, which could also happen
The problem with this is that if we ditch Ekblad and Montour walks, we have a big hole in our cup winning defense now, which was a big part of our identity this year. I don’t think I like the idea of both of them leaving
Do you think there's any kind of loyalty situation with Ekblad like since he's been with the team so long? That they'll hang on to him because of that and instead move on from someone newer?
No way we can trade Ekblad as much criticism we've all had he's one of us
If you really want Ekblad traded, and I do, there is a sure fire way to get it done: I need to get his autograph. Every autograph I have gotten has been traded within the season, except for Huberdeau who took like 2 seasons. Just get me near the guy. I have a hat and a marker ready. We can make this happen.
Ideally keeping everyone for one more year, chasing a repeat would be nice.
Now, in reality….
Room disruption aside, Aaron, thanks but goodbye. If Monti wants the BIG $$$$, then bye to you too. I would miss Montour more if he leaves. We have kids we can inject into the lineup, plus Zito and his team have shown they can find diamonds in the rough to fill the holes.
I'd really like to keep Tarasenko. I believe he has a couple of productive years left and seems to have melded in well with the "family".
I’ve been saying this for two years: if we want to resign Reinhart and possibly Montour then we either trade Ekblad for draft picks just to dump his salary or he gets a massive pay cut. Ekblad is a great guy, been on this team for 10 years, panther guy for life and we drafted him first overall in 2014. However, his performance in these last two playoffs seasons hasn’t been great. He’s had some rough games and lets his man go by him, especially in the oilers series during about 3 game losing streak. It seemed like every goal from the oilers, Aaron was on ice.
Ekblad is not playing up to his contract. He can’t generate points, he’s been getting beat more often than not and he’s an injury prone. I prefer Montour as my defender than Ekblad.
God i hope we get rid of that bum ekblad!!!
I don’t think we should trade Ekblad. We have him at 7.5 for one more year. We can get him discounted after next year. That’s where Bennett and Verharghe will need extensions. Also let Montour go
If Joe can stay alive so can Fluffy!
I dont understand you sometimes. Ekblad is still good? Someone will give a 1st? Dude youve been watching hockey too long to be that delusional. We will be the ones giving a draft pick for someone to take him. Hes beyond horrible and no ones giving us anything of value for him. Pray we dont have to retain salary.
I will trade Aaron for Patrick laine,one for one
I mean Ekblad should finish his career as a Panther, and I think he should go to Bill Zito and tell him that he will take a pay cut. I don’t know if you can do that in the NHL but that’s what I would do to be honest
I don't know what 12 teams cities are on his no trade clause, but I'm sure it includes the Canadian teams that would actually overpay for him.
I am a casual viewer of hockey. However, during the playoffs, it seem that Ekblad was the one who caused a good amount of mistakes (e.g blown coverage, poor passing) that led to the other team having break away chances or goals. I am sure we'll hear about the injuries he has just like last years playoffs. I really don't know what kind of upgrade the Panthers can get in trading him, a late round pick?
fuck man as much as we all r critical of Ekky he’s still my guy. Was my profile pic on YouTube for like 7 years 🥹 hopefully we keep him somehow
Ekblad is now a Panther Legend forever, and his veteran leadership is undoubtedly important.
But… his point production is nowhere near what it used to be and his injury history and age has caught up to him.
If we trade him, we need to make sure we have Monty locked up first and not the other way around.
Would love to see both Montour and OEM back.
But if Monty wants stupid money then he might have to be the one to go.
Would also love to see Tarasenko back as well.
But if we can’t get that done, then Kane might come at a discount for a chance at another Cup.
But he will likely want more than a one year deal.
Ultimately Reinhart is the priority and I think that deal will get done.
Tough decisions and wheeling and dealing ahead for Zito.
We will be a very different team next season, but I’m confident Zito will get it done.
I'd 100% rather have Verhaeghe than Ekblad, Montour, or even Reinhart. Panthers locker room will be fine without Ekblad. He's had a lot of injuries that have permanently slowed him down. Defense is too important to be paying him a fortune to get carried by Forsling. If we get to keep Reinhart too that would be cool, but it's not the end of the world. Most rosters get ravaged after winning the cup, much less a cup, a 2nd finals appearance, and a presidents trophy all so close.
The Lightning are reportedly making the right choice of looking to move Stamkos and the Leafs are likely to move Marner as well. Plus Boston is in the market to pick up more talent. We have to stay competitive as hell in the Atlantic. No room for big sentimental contracts to aging home favorites. Leave that for the rotting Metro.
It’s been one hell of a season. I am back to watching my baseball. Also jaws hope everything goes good for you Kyle, Matthias, and your family. See you all on the flying fluffy football channel for dolphins streams. I’d love to see you also wear Stanley cup championship gear mixed with dolphins gear in the streams even tho I’m a giants fan. Take care.
Good stuff, Jaws. This is a tough one. The amount of money he makes really sucks and you know how I feel about the several times EkBAD shows up. The locker room stuff is a real thing, though. All that being said, Montour is not worth a huge bag. I like the guy but i dont want to pay him the amount hes probably looking for. I don’t envy the tough decisions Zito will have to make. Also, I don’t like the idea of paying the backup 4.5 millionbif we haven’t been able to count on him being a backup.
Ekblad leaving will be a great day for thr panthers
Have a feeling Sunday (the parade) is gonna be one of the greatest days of our lives, but Monday (not alot of cap space, dudes are going to be gone) ,is gonna be one of our worst days
aaron is not zitos guy 😉 montour is.
Ekblad isn't worth 7.5M. So I do understand why he would be the one to go. He is part of the spirit of the team though, so that would be sad.
Well PM did say he was out of here….!!!!
Per @FriedgeHNIC on the Pat McAfee Show the Florida Panthers and Brandon Montour appear that they’re NOT going to have the flexibility to get a deal done and he can hit the market with lots of teams looking at him. Via twitter, so I guess Ekblad is staying after all
Ekblad should be traded simply because he blocked Jaws on Twitter. Just inexcusable
The word on street is that the Reinhart deal is done. I'll be surprised if it's more than $8.5M per year.
i would take montour over ekblad to be honest
Sucks that we have to do this before the parade lol kinda not fair to the players
He was repeatedly out of place and got beat over and over again this year. An alternate captain should never be a liability, he needs to go.
I wouldn’t mind moving Ekblad and also letting Montour go…it sucks I love Ekblad as a person but I think we got other guys I’d rather lock up than those two
My belief is that both Ekblad and Montour are gone, and Zito makes a move for Chychrun pretty soon. I would actually like that- especially if we keep both Reinhart AND Verhaeghe because of it.
Also a very solid chance that Ekblad is included as part of a deal for Chychrun, as the Senators are looking for a right-handed D-man.
Zito saying he's going to spend to the cap can be a good and bad thing for some of our favorite cats.
One year after Vegas became the first team with a $10 million contract to win the cup, Florida becomes the first team with two $10 million contracts to win it.
Tkachuk makes 9.5 and Reinhart is expected to sign just under Tkachuk, so defense is gonna get nuked. Thank god Forsling took that deal.