Free Agent Target: Aaron Ekblad

Defenceman Aaron Ekblad is coming off his third straight season of playing in the Stanley Cup Final. He has been a solid defenceman for the Florida Panthers since the beginning of his career. The 29-year-old is having the best playoff run in his career and will be looking for a nice contract in the offseason. His eight-year deal with the Panthers will be up after the playoffs. Do you think the Flames should target Ekblad in free agency? Let’s take a look at what he has to offer.

Ekblad brings valuable experience

Ekblad has had an interesting career to follow. The Panthers selected him with the first overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. Although he may not be quite as elite as many expected, he has still been a valuable piece to the Panthers. He is arguably one of their top defenceman of all time, playing 11 seasons with the franchise. In his rookie season, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy for being the best rookie in the NHL. This was the beginning of his fairly successful career.

Throughout his time in Florida, Ekblad has had many good and bad moments. Each of them has helped shape him into the player he is now. There were many rough seasons in Florida as the Panthers were in the midst of a tough rebuild. He, alongside Captain Aleksander Barkov, has been with the Panthers since Jaromir Jagr was still on the team. His commitment to the franchise is something that the NHL needs more of. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers try to re-sign him.

The Flames are in a semi-rebuild that nearly got them into the playoffs. One thing that the team is currently lacking is experienced defencemen. Assuming that Rasmus Andersson is traded, MacKenzie Weegar is the only defenceman left with experienced leadership. The Flames do have plenty of right-handed shot defencemen in their prospect pool, so maybe it is not the greatest idea to pursue Ekblad. Bringing him to the Flames would need to be on a short-term contract.

What will a contract look like for Ekblad?

With his recent performance in the playoffs, Ekblad will most likely be looking for a contract of around six years. Assuming that there will be a handful of teams going after him in free agency, it may take offers up to eight million a year to get him. The issue with this is that Ekblad’s best days are probably behind him. He has struggled to stay healthy over the past few seasons and has only played over 70 games once in the past four seasons.

Most teams prefer a shorter-term deal because they don’t want to commit long-term to an aging, injury-prone defenceman. A four-year deal would be perfect for both sides, as it provides some comfort to Ekblad, but it would be a tradable contract for the team. General managers don’t sign players to trade them later, but they must consider that possibility when making these decisions.

The Flames simply do not need Ekblad. Their available cap space should be used on younger talent that can have a long-term future with the franchise. Zayne Parekh must get as much ice time as possible next season. He is the best prospect the Flames have, and unfortunately, Ekblad would just stand in his way. Hunter Brzustewicz is another name that will be looking to get more time with the Flames next season.

Where could Ekblad end up?

Florida Panthers

Some of the teams that would be great fits for Ekblad include the Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Los Angeles Kings. These teams will have enough cap space to sign him. It will mainly be up to Ekblad to determine where he ends up. The 29-year-old recently stated that he “lives and breathes for the Florida Panthers“. This gives a good indication that he wants to stay in Florida the most, but we have seen this scenario many times in the NHL. The Panthers are currently battling for their second straight Stanley Cup victory. If they win again, there is no doubt that Bill Zito should attempt to bring everyone back. Then they may have an opportunity to create a dynasty.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Another team that could win the Ekblad sweepstakes is the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are coming off a fantastic season, where they just missed the playoffs. The team faced adversity right from the start of the season with the passing of Johnny Gaudreau. This pushed the team to come together as one and nearly defy all odds. Defenceman Zach Werenski had a career season and was the runner-up for the Norris Trophy. Meanwhile, younger players like Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, and Kent Johnson made excellent steps forward. All they need is a couple more star players to build a playoff contender. The Blue Jackets lack a right-handed defenceman; this is where Ekblad would be a perfect fit.

Los Angeles Kings

Last on the list is the Los Angeles Kings. This team has lost in the first round of the playoffs for four straight years. Something needs to change. The Kings simply need more star power, especially on defence. Ekblad would be a great fit for them, as Drew Doughty has certainly seen better days. There were rumours during the previous season that defenceman Brandt Clarke could be a trade option. If he is traded to bring in a better forward, they would need a replacement on defence. With Clarke gone and Doughty aging, Ekblad would be the right piece at the right price.

Where do you think Aaron Ekblad signs in free agency?