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Edmonton Oilers Reportedly Looking at Rival Panthers Star as Top Offseason Acquisition

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 3:59 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers are two wins away from the Stanley Cup, and no matter the outcome, it appears they're set to poach a top Florida Panthers defenseman.

After a dramatic comeback, overtime victory on Thursday night, the Stanley Cup Finals hang in the balance between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, meeting for the second time in a row.

While that's all on the front of their mind, for GM Stan Bowman, he needs to look into ways to improve this team in the summer, and now it's being reported that he could look to poach a key Florida Panthers player to do just that.

According to both David Pagnotta and EJ Hradek, the Oilers are one of three teams that could be considered front runners to land Aaron Ekblad in the summer if he ends up making it to free agency.

Recently, the veteran blue liner noted that he wants to remain loyal to the Panthers, a team he has been with since being the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2014 NHL Draft, but with the team looking to pay Sam Bennett in free agency, Ekblad may end up finding his way to the open market after all.

This past season, Ekblad tallied a solid 3 goals and 33 points in just 56 games played, but with his suspension at the end of the season and the veteran approaching age 30, it's unclear exactly what his market will be.

According to Pagnotta and Hradek, there's at least three contenders beyond Florida wanting to sign the veteran, so there's clearly interest there, and whether or not the Oilers win the Stanley Cup in 2025, expect them to try and steal a key piece of the Panthers blue line in the coming weeks.

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

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