The Florida Panthers are once again competing in the Stanley Cup Final, the third consecutive season that they’re one of the two final teams standing. Currently, they’re deadlocked with the Edmonton Oilers at one game apiece in the first Cup Final rematch the NHL has seen since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins met in consecutive campaigns in 2008 and 2009.
Multiple players remain on the Panthers from last season’s championship run, which ultimately resulted in the franchise’s first Stanley Cup win. Additionally, there are several new faces aboard for this season’s run, including former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, former Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt, and former New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek.
But there are a handful of key Panthers players who are also currently on expiring contracts, and regardless of how this season’s Stanley Cup Final ultimately finishes, Florida could soon be confronted with the risk of losing one or more long-tenured players who have contributed to their recent run of success and rise to the upper echelons of the NHL.
At the same time, there is also a chance that these players could choose to continue their career with the Panthers, who have firmly put their years of being an afterthought well into the rear view mirror and are now the class of the Eastern Conference.
Panthers’ dream is re-signing Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad
The good news for the Panthers is that they’re projected to have approximately $19 million worth of salary cap space for general manager Bill Zito to utilize in trying to keep the current team as close together as he can. The top names that are slated for free-agency this offseason currently playing with the Panthers — besides Marchand — are forward Sam Bennett and defensemen Aaron Ekblad.
Bennett’s current contract carries a $4.425 million cap hit, and he stands to easily double that amount. Ekblad’s cap hit of $7.5 million was an appropriate figure for Florida’s top defenseman who was the former first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Additionally, Marchand is seeing his stock rise thanks to his playoff performance and could match or potentially even earn more than his current $6.125 million cap hit from his deal he originally signed with the Bruins in 2016.
Florida’s dream scenario would be to bring back all three players at team-friendly cap hits while also making sure they all felt fairly compensated for what they’ve brought to the franchise over the years and, in Marchand’s case, this spring.
They could be also persuaded to take less money than they could fetch from opposition teams for a myriad of reasons.
First, the Panthers have established themselves as one of the NHL’s top teams in recent years and enjoy a winning culture that was absent from the franchise for so many years prior. Additionally, the players enjoy the tremendous weather of Florida while also not having to pay any state taxes, allowing them to keep more of their paychecks that would otherwise be taxed in other locations in both the United States and Canada.
Ekblad hopes to re-sign with Panthers
Based on the recent comments from Ekblad, the Panthers may not have much difficulty in re-signing him, via TSN.
“I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers,” Ekblad said. “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.”
Ekblad also spoke about the winning culture that has been established in Florida that he’s been a part of, though things weren’t as easy for him in the early goings of his career.
“I truly believe that after you win one, you want it that much more,” Ekblad said. “And that’s the kind of attitude that I think that all the returning players have. The amount of fun and the excitement that you get from it is incredible, and it makes you want it again that much more. So that’s where I pull my energy from.”
Marchand has experienced firsthand the joy and energy of competing on Stanley Cup-caliber teams during his days with the Bruins. If the Panthers ultimately defeat the Oilers, he could be enticed not only to remain in Florida but also to help extend their championship window even further.
As for Bennett, he has loved his time with the Panthers and could be willing to accept slightly less than he might earn elsewhere — especially given Florida’s tax-friendly environment — to continue competing for a perennial championship contender. Not to be overlooked, Schmidt is carrying a cap hit of $800,000 and has fit in well with the Panthers. Don’t be surprised if he’s offered a similar, highly team-friendly deal to stick around.
The Panthers lost key defenseman Brandon Montour in free agency in 2024 but remain one of the league’s premier teams. A dream scenario for the club this time around would be finding a way to retain at least two of Bennett, Ekblad and Marchand — while potentially bringing another depth player or two to Sunrise.
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