Former No. 1 Overall Draft Pick Identified As A Shock Trade Candidate At The Deadline
Aaron Ekblad has been a consistent force for Florida since being drafted in 2014, but now ahead of his pending free agency, it appears he's becoming a trade piece as the team look to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for a third straight year.
The Florida Panthers may have lost several players to free agency after winning their Stanley Cup in 2024, but despite all of that, they remain a genuine contender in 2025, with the team once again shaping up as a favourite in the Eastern Conference.
With the trade deadline approaching, the expectation is that this team will look to make a move to improve themselves with a potential blockbuster deal, and according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, that could involve a surprise piece in Aaron Ekblad being moved.
The former No. 1 overall draft pick has been a staple of the Florida Panthers team for the past decade after being drafted in 2014, and with his long-term deal coming to an end after the 2024/25 campaign, they've got a huge decision to make on the 29-year old.
In 51 games this season, Ekblad has posted 27 points, much better than the 18 he saw a season ago in the same amount of games, and with the team potentially not interested in bringing him back as a free agent, exploring the trade market would be the best move for GM Bill Zito and the front office.
Ultimately, there's no one more deserving of the 2024 Stanley Cup in Florida than Ekblad, who has remained with the team through their immense ups and downs over the past decade, but now that that has come and gone, his future is up in the air, and if the Panthers get a decent offer for him, don't be shocked to see them move him.
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