Pending UFA Aaron Ekblad Makes Emphatic Statement About His Future

Pending UFA Aaron Ekblad is a little busy these days to be thinking about free agency, as he and the Florida Panthers begin their Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. But when asked about his future, he wasn't shy to make an emphatic statement about how he wants his free agency to play out.

Ekblad on being a pending UFA:

"I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I've given my body and everything to this team. I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they'll let me keep coming to the rink."
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) June 3, 2025

Everyone knows where I stand. Listen, this team… I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I have given my body and everything to this team. I want to keep doing it forever. As long as they let me come to the rink.’

Ekblad has spent his entire 11-year career as a Panther, and the top-pairing right-shot D-man has no intention of going anywhere else. But his eight-year, $7.5M AAV contract expires at the end of the month, and Florida has some decisions to make about how they'll spend their projected $19 million in cap space.

Fellow pending UFA Sam Bennett is clearly the team's No. 1 priority, and don't forget they also have Brad Marchand coming to the end of his deal, as well. And Mackie Samoskevich needs a new deal, as an RFA. All of those contracts would easily eat up that cap space, and more, quickly, if all are re-signed.

As for Ekblad, he heads into free agency coming off a self-described "rollercoaster" of a season. He sat out a 20-game suspension for PED use, missed the first games of the playoffs, came back and resumed his role as a critical member of the blueline, then proceeded to garner another two-game suspension for a hit on Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel in the second round.

“It has been a bit of a rollercoaster for myself,’’ Ekblad said. “You’re playing for your life, in a sense, right? It has been a fun experience playing in a contract year, and I am happy with the way things have gone.’’

He finished the regular season with 33 points in 56 games with a plus/minus rating of +11, while playing 23:31 average ice time per night. He's really stepped it up in these playoffs, with 11 points in 13 games, including the game-winning goal in Game 4 against Tampa (soon after he had leveled Hagel).

Panthers pounce in Game 4! 🐆⚡

Two goals in 11 seconds seal a 4-2 victory over the Lightning, but Ekblad’s controversial hit on Hagel has fans roaring for justice.#StanleyCup #BattleOfFlorida pic.twitter.com/sacNVZpBcE
— BTCs Sports (@BTCsSports) April 29, 2025

But all of that contract and free agency talk will have to wait a couple of weeks. Ekblad and the Panthers will have their hands full trying to defend their Stanley Cup title.