RWJC Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Steve Clickbait Simmons, so take it with major grains of salt… Report: Aaron Ekblad Could Be On His Way Out Of Florida After The Season Dave Litman Monday, June 03, 2024 It might sound a bit crazy, as he gets set to help lead his Florida Panthers into the Stanley Cup Finals, but according to one report on Monday, key defenseman Aaron Ekblad could be moved this summer in order to make room to sign other key impending free agents. Steve Simmons writes in the Toronto Sun about what would be a stunning move by the two-time Eastern Conference champs: “Florida wants to re-sign (Brandon) Montour who is a pending free agent, as is the 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart. The thinking is, the Panthers will look to trade veteran Aaron Ekblad at the end of the season and use his money to keep Montour.” Simmons doesn't expound on who's doing that "thinking", but it certainly would be a shocker. Montour had a big dropoff offensively this season, from 73 points down to 33 points, but did battle some injury problems and played 66 games. He does have nine points in 17 playoff games and is logging a workhorse-like 23:24 time on ice per game this spring, about the same number as in the regular season. He's coming off a contract that held a $3.5 million cap and will be more cost-effective to re-sign than Ekblad, who has one year left on his $7.5 million cap hit before becoming a free agent after next season. Ekblad also had health problems this year, and also suffered from a big offensive decline, but still posted a plus/minus of +27 in 51 games, with 18 points. He's also posted a +9 rating in 17 playoff games this spring, playing 22:37 a night. But it's Reinhart who will take the biggest chunk of change to re-sign, coming off his 50-goal breakout season. As Simmons notes, and has been discussed in various quarters recently, he could sign a "tax-friendly deal brought to you by the state of Florida." The Panthers will have somewhere around $20 million in cap space with 13 players under contract for next season. Much of that $20 mill will be consumed by Reinhart and Montour, so they will have to figure out a way to trim salary somewhere. But is ditching a team leader like Ekblad the way to do it? He does have a 12-team no-trade list, so that will have to be considered as well if the Panthers do in fact try to go this route. https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/06/report-aaron-ekblad-could-be-on-his-way.html 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownUndaCanuck Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Leading his team to back-to-back SCF, you don't just get rid of decent core players and leaders like that. But if they want, Hronek for Ekblad and they give us a sweetener? Or how about Hronek + Mikheyev + prospect for Eklbad + Rodrigues We get a good physical RD for Hughes and a 3C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Shackleford Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 The perfect partner for Hughes IMO. Get it the f done, JR/PA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucker67 Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 haha, Simmons wishing good things for the Leafs. Dream on Stevie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkyard Dog Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 14 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said: Leading his team to back-to-back SCF, you don't just get rid of decent core players and leaders like that. But if they want, Hronek for Ekblad and they give us a sweetener? Or how about Hronek + Mikheyev + prospect for Eklbad + Rodrigues We get a good physical RD for Hughes and a 3C. It is to make cap room so it would be a cap out move. They need cap to re-sign their FAs and might prefer Montour over Ekblad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgyfan Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 $7.5m rental for next season and then UFA +++$ and term, here we come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyCuddles Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 (edited) 17 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said: Leading his team to back-to-back SCF, you don't just get rid of decent core players and leaders like that. But if they want, Hronek for Ekblad and they give us a sweetener? Or how about Hronek + Mikheyev + prospect for Eklbad + Rodrigues We get a good physical RD for Hughes and a 3C. Why would Florida do this? They're speculated to be interested in moving Ekblad to get cap. Hronek is apparently asking for 8mil. Meaning 7mil is likely his absolute floor. They aren't saving cap trading Ekblad for Hronek. They sure as shit aren't saving cap by also taking Mikheyev's albatross contract. They'd want Willander or Hoglander + extras back. Someone that'd be cheap for them. Edited June 3 by JeremyCuddles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwarrior Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 I would be down depending on what the price tag would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devron Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Injury prone to the max 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bure_Pavel Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 1 hour ago, RWJC said: Steve Clickbait Simmons, so take it with major grains of salt… Report: Aaron Ekblad Could Be On His Way Out Of Florida After The Season Dave Litman Monday, June 03, 2024 It might sound a bit crazy, as he gets set to help lead his Florida Panthers into the Stanley Cup Finals, but according to one report on Monday, key defenseman Aaron Ekblad could be moved this summer in order to make room to sign other key impending free agents. Steve Simmons writes in the Toronto Sun about what would be a stunning move by the two-time Eastern Conference champs: “Florida wants to re-sign (Brandon) Montour who is a pending free agent, as is the 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart. The thinking is, the Panthers will look to trade veteran Aaron Ekblad at the end of the season and use his money to keep Montour.” Simmons doesn't expound on who's doing that "thinking", but it certainly would be a shocker. Montour had a big dropoff offensively this season, from 73 points down to 33 points, but did battle some injury problems and played 66 games. He does have nine points in 17 playoff games and is logging a workhorse-like 23:24 time on ice per game this spring, about the same number as in the regular season. He's coming off a contract that held a $3.5 million cap and will be more cost-effective to re-sign than Ekblad, who has one year left on his $7.5 million cap hit before becoming a free agent after next season. Ekblad also had health problems this year, and also suffered from a big offensive decline, but still posted a plus/minus of +27 in 51 games, with 18 points. He's also posted a +9 rating in 17 playoff games this spring, playing 22:37 a night. But it's Reinhart who will take the biggest chunk of change to re-sign, coming off his 50-goal breakout season. As Simmons notes, and has been discussed in various quarters recently, he could sign a "tax-friendly deal brought to you by the state of Florida." The Panthers will have somewhere around $20 million in cap space with 13 players under contract for next season. Much of that $20 mill will be consumed by Reinhart and Montour, so they will have to figure out a way to trim salary somewhere. But is ditching a team leader like Ekblad the way to do it? He does have a 12-team no-trade list, so that will have to be considered as well if the Panthers do in fact try to go this route. https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/06/report-aaron-ekblad-could-be-on-his-way.html Purely clickbait, the Panthers are still in it. This kinda speculation doesn't make sense coming from the team until after they are done for the season. Just someone coming up with what ifs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWJC Posted June 3 Author Share Posted June 3 3 minutes ago, Bure_Pavel said: Purely clickbait, the Panthers are still in it. This kinda speculation doesn't make sense coming from the team until after they are done for the season. Just someone coming up with what ifs. agreed, but doesn’t matter whether they are in it or not. They don’t have the cap space to keep the team together that is “in it” at the moment regardless. I don’t think mgmt is waiting until end of playoffs to examine their potential issues afterwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elias Pettersson Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 (edited) They need to sign Reinhart and Montour if they choose to keep them, which will eat up most of their available cap this summer. So it makes some sense if they want to move Ekblad, as he seems to have had injury problems the last 4 years. They would most likely want Willander+ in return. Knowing JR, this is actually the kind of move that he is known for in order to go all in for a cup. Ekblad is obviously an upgrade on Hronek, so I can see this happening. Another option is to trade Hronek for picks and prospects and flip those for Ekblad so as to retain Willander. I'd be okay with this, and we can re-sign Ekblad in the summer as Hughes permanent partner... Edited June 3 by Elias Pettersson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 2 hours ago, Nucker67 said: haha, Simmons wishing good things for the Leafs. Dream on Stevie. Dream until your dreams come true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 1 hour ago, gwarrior said: I would be down depending on what the price tag would be. Perfect partner for Hughes, which means we won't be signing Zadorov Lindholm and Joshua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlwaysACanuckFan Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 3 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said: They need to sign Reinhart and Montour if they choose to keep them, which will eat up most of their available cap this summer. So it makes some sense if they want to move Ekblad, as he seems to have had injury problems the last 4 years. They would most likely want Willander+ in return. Knowing JR, this is actually the kind of move that he is known for in order to go all in for a cup. Ekblad is obviously an upgrade on Hronek, so I can see this happening. Another option is to trade Hronek for picks and prospects and flip those for Ekblad so as to retain Willander. I'd be okay with this, and we can re-sign Ekblad in the summer as Hughes permanent partner... Maybe we could snag both or at least one if they decide to go with Ekblad 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rekker Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Would be a great add, too bad assets were spent on the legendary OEL acquisition. Those type assets would be needed for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuchaNuxtalgia Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 League LOVEs these tropical-BS-markets thriving, so deck chairs will be rearranged accordingly. FLO will prob send this guy to Utah for a disgusting haul of picks/youth. PERFECT for two sweetheart markets from the NHL pov. Something else for their complicit, lame-O sports journos to scribble about during the short off-season. Just don't question anything, keep buying jerseys & gambling foolishly. Thanks kindly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Shackleford Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 3 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said: They need to sign Reinhart and Montour if they choose to keep them, which will eat up most of their available cap this summer. So it makes some sense if they want to move Ekblad, as he seems to have had injury problems the last 4 years. They would most likely want Willander+ in return. Knowing JR, this is actually the kind of move that he is known for in order to go all in for a cup. Ekblad is obviously an upgrade on Hronek, so I can see this happening. Another option is to trade Hronek for picks and prospects and flip those for Ekblad so as to retain Willander. I'd be okay with this, and we can re-sign Ekblad in the summer as Hughes permanent partner... Absolutely what I want to see. Hronek for assets, those assets for Ekblad. We did this exactly with Bo to get Hronek. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks curse Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 2 minutes ago, Rusty Shackleford said: Absolutely what I want to see. Hronek for assets, those assets for Ekblad. We did this exactly with Bo to get Hronek. This would be a great move a three way deal even great 3D chess 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks curse Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 To VAN Ekblad To FLA hoglander podkolzin 2025 1st Ekblad is 7.5 Milky dump with Woo and Klimo to CHI 2024 3rd cap = 25 + 2.75 = 27.75 Tanev 4.5x 3 Cole 2x 2 Myers 2.75x 3 Duclair 4x 3 Bluegger 2x 4 JG 9x 7 Silovs 1 = 25.25 CAP space = 2.5 to TO Hronek to VAN knies 2024 1st knies is .925 cap space = 1.575 JG Petey Lekk Duclair Miller Brock Knies Bluegger Garland Suter Aman PDG Hughes Ekbkad Soucy Tanev Cole Myers demko silovs thet team could win the cup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks curse Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Putting this together I could see TO just sending Knies and first to FLA for ekbkad but I actually think our package is better for them they need several cheap forwards not just 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Agreed we ought to trade Hronek and then flip some pieces we get for him for Ekblad. That being said, after this coming season (if this trade were to happen) he'd be in the same boat as Lindholm this summer - pending UFA, plus with his current base salary at $7.5 million it might take quite the decline in performance for him to take a paycut, so we'd be right back to where we started with trying to lock down guys like Filip/ Lindholm. IF Aaron would take a paycut to take the #2 spot on the D structure then yes, otherwise we might just be wasting assets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 7 hours ago, JeremyCuddles said: Why would Florida do this? They're speculated to be interested in moving Ekblad to get cap. Hronek is apparently asking for 8mil. Meaning 7mil is likely his absolute floor. They aren't saving cap trading Ekblad for Hronek. They sure as shit aren't saving cap by also taking Mikheyev's albatross contract. They'd want Willander or Hoglander + extras back. Someone that'd be cheap for them. Florida's tax situation changes the math a bit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconuts Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 He'd be an interesting option but I probably wouldn't like what it'd cost to land him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz-Pix Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Ekblad is interesting...but he's injured way to often IMO Over the last 5 years he's averaged 57 games a season...$7.5 million is way to much to have guy sit on LTIR...unless your Vegas LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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