One Panthers Pending UFA Trending Towards Being Squeezed Out

According to insider Pierre LeBrun, three pending unrestricted free agents is one too many for the Florida Panthers to bring back, and, speaking on TSN's Early Insider Trading, he suggests that Aaron Ekblad is likely not to return to the two-time Cup champs.

With Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand now looking more and more like they'll be re-signing with the Panthers, the team has a big decision to make. LeBrun believes he knows how it'll come down:

I think that probably leaves out Aaron Ekblad. I'm not gonna say there's no chance he re-signs, but the reality is that I don't think there's been a lot of negotiation throughout the year since last summer. I think term was an issue the last time both sides talked about a potential extension.
There's some hard miles on Ekblad, even though he's a very important player on that team. So, it just feels like when you look at three key pending UFAs, that someone gets squeezed out. Listen, I could be wrong, but right now I feel like that's probably Aaron Ekblad.

Let's add that there are also some extenuating circumstances that might play into the decision. The veteran defenseman, remember, sat out a 20-game suspension this season for PED use, which could, in some form or another, be a factor for management in weighing all of their options.

How much cap space do the Panthers have?

The Panthers have $19 million in cap space, but that will not be enough to satisfy all of Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad, each of whom will certainly look to earn a deal worth at least $7.5 million annually (or more in some cases). The math simply doesn't work, and if LeBrun is right, Ekblad, 29, will be suiting up for a new team next season, despite the player's own expectations.

In 56 games this past season, he posted 33 points along with a +11 rating, and stepped up his game big-time in the playoffs, with 13 points in 19 games with a +10 rating. The 6'4", 220-pounder also handed out 62 hits in those 19 contests.