Panthers Sign Aaron Ekblad to 8-Year Contract Extension

Ekblad has decided he wants to stick around for a while longer after hoisting his second Stanley Cup with the Panthers, and the price comes in at a very team-friendly deal.

What Ekblad Brings to the Table

Ekblad is a prototypical two-way defenseman. He contributed on both ends of the ice and was a key part of the Panthers’ blue line in both of their Stanley Cup victories. He will produce offensively, recording 380 points in 732 games so far as a member of the Panthers. His playmaking ability from the blue line is one of his greatest assets, and he’s a perfect quarterback for the power play.

He can also find the back of the net on his own fairly regularly, hitting double digits in goals in eight of his 11 seasons in the NHL.

On top of his offensive ability, he is reliable in his own end and brings a physical, hard-hitting edge to his game as well. The only downside with him is due to his physical style of play, he is out of the lineup due to injury on a fairly regular basis. His head coach, Paul Maurice, said why he values Ekblad while describing his game to Florida Hockey Now, “[He’s] closing gaps, up the ice on the rush, and he puts the rest of our defensive corps into a different structure of matches and things like that.”

For the past nine seasons, Ekblad was also an alternate captain for the Panthers, so he holds an important leadership role with them as well.

Ekblad has been a staple of the blue line that has seen a lot of change. With him and Gustav Forsling leading the way, the Panthers have had a ton of success as a strong defensive team.