Confirmed Signing with Link: [FLA] Aaron Ekblad re-signs with Panthers (8 years, $7.500M AAV)

In 5 years it will be a steal. If I were him I would have taken6 mil bridge for 2 or 3 years then cashed out for 10+

At 23 year old he would get that you think? Let him get more than 40 point and not being sheltered as much as he have been before calling him a 10+m Defensemen at 23. Had a good rookie season at 18 and he's the next Bobby Orr i guess.....
 
This is a significant signing for Florida, he will be a Panther for at least the peak years, good to see. This should also interest Buffalo Sabre fans, this will most likely be around what Rasmus Ristolainen gets in his deal.
 
Since Keith, Weber and Suter all received long cap circumventing deals, Subban is the only top Dman who has received full cap hit contract (in the same way as the difference between Crosby's, Getzlav's and Toews' cap hits show the market evolving on offense).

Hedman next year and definitely Doughty thereafter will set the new standard for defensemen, most likely along the contract received by Subban. In that context Ekbland's rumored contract will look quite fine, in the same way Doughty's contract originally seemed fine (and it was way higher in comparison once the increase in cap is taken into account).
 
This is a significant signing for Florida, he will be a Panther for at least the peak years, good to see. This should also interest Buffalo Sabre fans, this will most likely be around what Rasmus Ristolainen gets in his deal.

He will get between what Jones got and Ekblad got. I'm hoping to split the dollars and get as many years as possible. Lock him up for 8 years at an AAV of $6.5 would make me ecstatic, but wouldn't be mad at $7 per, anything over $7.5 will look bad on Murray now.
 
Good for both sides. Jealous of Florida for having him

Also is this just a rumor or has it been comformed? The tag is throwing me off
 
How big is Barkov's cap hit? I thought these two guys were on the same level going into the future of the Florida Panthers but apparently Florida rates Ekblad a bit higher?
 
AP has had multiple 50 and 40 point seasons while being better defensively, Ekblad gets sheltered and hasn't even broken 40 points.

This gets repeated a ton and is hilarious. Sheltered by who? Guds and Petrovic? Some shelter. He's not playing behind Drew Doughty

Soupy and Kulikov are good partners for him but I'm not sure how you can shelter your best RHD playing 21-22 minutes a night. He doesn't kill a ton of penalties but hey, he's still a teenager and we had other guys who can only PK. Rather throw him out there on the PP and 5v5.

Headman, on a much more offensively gifted team, didn't break 30 pts until he was in his 5th season. Ekblad has 39 in his rookie year and 36 this season.

Would I like to sign him for 6.5? Sure. But to have him locked up until he's almost 30? I'm fine with 7.5 and if you think of it as 5 mill for 4 years and 10 mill for 4 years (or some escalating combo) it's great value.

Great for Ek, too. Gets paid now and will almost certainly get even more ridiculous cash when is next contract is due.
 
This gets repeated a ton and is hilarious. Sheltered by who? Guds and Petrovic? Some shelter. He's not playing behind Drew Doughty

Soupy and Kulikov are good partners for him but I'm not sure how you can shelter your best RHD playing 21-22 minutes a night. He doesn't kill a ton of penalties but hey, he's still a teenager and we had other guys who can only PK. Rather throw him out there on the PP and 5v5.

Headman, on a much more offensively gifted team, didn't break 30 pts until he was in his 5th season. Ekblad has 39 in his rookie year and 36 this season.

Would I like to sign him for 6.5? Sure. But to have him locked up until he's almost 30? I'm fine with 7.5 and if you think of it as 5 mill for 4 years and 10 mill for 4 years (or some escalating combo) it's great value.

Great for Ek, too. Gets paid now and will almost certainly get even more ridiculous cash when is next contract is due.

So what if he doesn't get sheltered by Doughty? Getting sheltered is getting sheltered, where other dmen takes the hit with tougher competition and tougher zone starts. They take the brunt of the shelllacking so Ekblad doesn't have to. Now it's natural to shelter your young dmen, but now they are paying him like he's already their #1 shutdown do it all dmen. It's a huge risky pay for potential.
 
Regardless this was a deal that didn't have to be made for another year.

If he were to have an exceptional campaign, e.g., ~50+ points while shouldering tougher minutes, then Florida would likely be on the hook for even more cash next year. 7.5M is a bundle for what he brings right now, but if there is any young defender that can definitely live up to and even exceed that contract, I'd put my money on it being Ekblad.
 
Thats too much money too fast imho. Ekland is great and all but 7.5 a year already ?
 
Too much IMO. He still has a bit to go until he becomes a legit number 1 defenseman. Would have been happier with 6.5m which would have been a lot fairer for both parties.
 
If he were to have an exceptional campaign, e.g., ~50+ points while shouldering tougher minutes, then Florida would likely be on the hook for even more cash next year. 7.5M is a bundle for what he brings right now, but if there is any young defender that can definitely live up to and even exceed that contract, I'd put my money on it being Ekblad.

Not to mention if Risto, Trouba, and/or Lindholm got similar $7.5x8 deals or even higher with rumors of offer sheets by Boston Ekblads price would have skyrocketed. Get him locked up now, if he has a breakout season and is in Norris contention this year he's not hitting you over the head with Subban numbers.
 
So what if he doesn't get sheltered by Doughty? Getting sheltered is getting sheltered, where other dmen takes the hit with tougher competition and tougher zone starts. They take the brunt of the shelllacking so Ekblad doesn't have to. Now it's natural to shelter your young dmen, but now they are paying him like he's already their #1 shutdown do it all dmen. It's a huge risky pay for potential.

I guess if you think he's overpaid at $6 million the next 4 years and won't be worth $9 million for another 4. We can revisit this after they hand him the 2020 SC and you can tell us all what his FA value would be :sarcasm: Every contract is a risk, but this one is a helluva lot safer than like a dozen we will see in a few hours. At very, very worst they overpay him by a million AAV. He's already a top-4 d and won't be less than that this, short of injury, anytime in the next 8 years.

Getting 'sheltered' defensively while still being the best all-around RHD on the team that won the division is not the same in important ways as starting on the second or third pair. I like Guds, but a steady veteran TWD he is not.

For the record, Headman had a .506 Corsi Rel QoC his first sophomore season. Ekblad? .600 - while putting up 500% more goals! How's that for a stat :laugh: Headman played 3-4 minutes less a night.
 
I guess if you think he's overpaid at $6 million the next 4 years and won't be worth $9 million for another 4. We can revisit this after they hand him the 2020 SC and you can tell us all what his FA value would be :sarcasm: Every contract is a risk, but this one is a helluva lot safer than like a dozen we will see in a few hours. At very, very worst they overpay him by a million AAV. He's already a top-4 d and won't be less than that this, short of injury, anytime in the next 8 years.

Getting 'sheltered' defensively while still being the best all-around RHD on the team that won the division is not the same in important ways as starting on the second or third pair. I like Guds, but a steady veteran TWD he is not.

For the record, Headman had a .506 Corsi Rel QoC his first sophomore season. Ekblad? .600 - while putting up 500% more goals! How's that for a stat :laugh: Headman played 3-4 minutes less a night.

You have RFA rights, why do you need to go out and spend that much on someone who hasn't been proven but based on potential? Notice how 'good' some of the contracts around young dmen after their ELCs are? You aren't signing an UFA here. If you want to compare Hedman, he got paid 4 mil caphit post ELC. All of the other good young dmen off their ELCs aren't getting this much, although this probably inflated Lindholm's contract. You are just paying for potential here which is a massive risk.
 

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