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Aaron Ekblad Reveals Warning Given to Him By His Agent After Wild Stanley Cup Celebration

Originally posted on House of Hockey
By Graham Montgomery | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has received a warning from his agent not to be too loose lipped about his plans this summer as he becomes an unrestricted free agent, following Sam Bennett's comments about his future with the team.

Bill Zito and the Florida Panthers are likely going to do everything they can to bring back the exact same team that has won back-to-back championships.

Of course, not all the players from the team this year were there for the first run, but one player that has been with the team for a long time is Aaron Ekblad.

Ekblad also happens to be one of the team's biggest pending unrestricted free agents, putting pressure on the organization to figure out what to do with him.

If the 29-year-old isn't signed by July 1st, he very well could leave in free agency, creating a rather large void on the team's blueline.

That being said, Ekblad's agent doesn't want him to publicly commit to re-signing the same way Sam Bennett did while the team was celebrating their Stanley Cup victory.

Bennett infamously told fans that he was going to sign a contract extension with the team during celebrations at a Florida bar after game six.

While Bennett's intentions may be pure, the logistics of such a contract extension could prove to be rather difficult.

This is because the Panthers have a rather limited amount of cap space, and Bennett is expected to get at least 7 million dollars a season on his next contract.

If Bennett is a top priority for the Panthers, players like Ekblad could be forced to sign elsewhere unless he is willing to sign for significantly less than what he would get on the market.

Of course, that is always a possibility, but Ekblad's agent probably wouldn't be too thrilled about that as that would mean less money in his pocket from agent fees.

Should Bennett sign for 7.5 million dollar a season, that would leave the Panthers with 11.5 million in cap room to sign Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad, which very well might not be enough.

So could Ekblad be on the move this summer? Or would Bill Zito rather let Marchand walk after joining the team as a rental? Stay tuned to see what the Panthers do this summer as it could be the difference between a third straight championship or another team hoisting the cup.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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