Ekblad, the 1st overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft, has had a successful career with nearly 700 games played and just under 350 points. He also won the Calder Trophy and now has a Stanley Cup. He has one year left on his contract with the Panthers, which has a $7.5 million cap hit.
According to multiple well-placed sources, the Panthers are shopping 2014 first-overall pick Aaron Ekblad, who is entering the final year of his contract, and have already had discussions with some teams about his availability.
Ekblad, 28, will see his full no-movement clause shift to a 12-team no-trade list July 1, when he is also due a $3 million signing bonus.
Ekblad, 28, had a mixed performance in the playoffs this season. He scored just six points in 24 games, averaged more than a giveaway per game, and only had two takeaways. Additionally, he logged his lowest average ice time per game in his playoff career, although it was still more than 22 minutes per night. Given his performance, it's unclear what his trade value might be.
Pagnotta also reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams interested in Ekblad. The Leafs have also been linked to pending free agent Brandon Montour, who nearly doubled Ekblad's playoff scoring.
With 11 pending unrestricted free agents, the Panthers appear to be shopping Aaron Ekblad, and the Leafs are among several teams interested. The list of defensemen linked to the Maple Leafs continues to grow, so stay tuned this summer to see who they end up signing.
