Weekes: Panthers working on extensions for Montour and Forsling

[SnuggaRUDE]

Next year according to the projections Florida will have 28M available to sign 12 players.

If they sign Montour for 7 that leaves 21 for 11 players. It's certainly do-able, are they planning on graduating several prospects?

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Montour - 5 yrs X 7 mil (lots in signing bonus money)
Forsling - 6 yrs X 6.25 mil (he doesn't play PP to justify more)

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Next year according to the projections Florida will have 28M available to sign 12 players.

If they sign Montour for 7 that leaves 21 for 11 players. It's certainly do-able, are they planning on graduating several prospects?

Probably trade Ekblad for whatever

 

[RJMA]

I feel like Zito is trying to do with the Panthers what Pat Riley did with the Heat by creating a team first culture. He views Barkov as the bar, as evidenced by Tkachuk receiving a smaller AAV. Montour and Forsling pale in importance to Barkov, regardless of the cap rising. If all of Montour, Forsling and Reinhart want to stay and contend, it'll be for less than market. Zito strikes me as the type to have this approach.

 

[Space umpire]

Panthers about to give all their players deals as if they won them the cup. One fluke run with no cup is going to make a serious cap mess there.

Tying up guys who’ve proved they can not only handle but excel under playoff pressure.
Unlike your favorite team who gave outrageously big deals to guys who never made a run and stop performing when the paychecks stop (end of regular season) The same team that thought it wise to pay their 2nd line center 11m a year until he’s old enough for social security.

 

[Mogo]

Next year according to the projections Florida will have 28M available to sign 12 players.

If they sign Montour for 7 that leaves 21 for 11 players. It's certainly do-able, are they planning on graduating several prospects?

15M in two goalies is not ideal. Bob has to be moved.

 

[Malaka]

If youre not 22 then you're 35.

— Ricky Bobby Leonardo DiCaprio

 

[HockeyVirus]

Tying up guys who’ve proved they can not only handle but excel under playoff pressure.
Unlike your favorite team who gave outrageously big deals to guys who never made a run and stop performing when the paychecks stop (end of regular season) The same team that thought it wise to pay their 2nd line center 11m a year until he’s old enough for social security.

lol. One fluke run. Before last year, the entire team had 0 wins in the 2nd round in their careers. All they have proven is they can be carried by Bobrovski

 

[FinlandPanther]

lol. One fluke run. Before last year, the entire team had 0 wins in the 2nd round in their careers. All they have proven is they can be carried by Bobrovski

Yet still more successful than the Leafs LOL. Your core of fantastic losers have 1 second round win and then they celebrated like they won the cup. Truly pathetic. I love that this off-season has made you seethe and punch the wall at home. Was a really easy 5 game series. Was pretty easy for Bob to stop all the perimeter shots that he saw from the charmin soft leafs.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

15M in two goalies is not ideal. Bob has to be moved.

Buyout is finally palatable

Thank You - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Thank you for the amazing 9 years

www.capfriendly.com

I think they could retain 50% and get someone interested though, there's a goaltending crisis and 5m x 2 is a contract you can't even get Joonas Korpisalo as a FA to sign for. You have to give every FA goalie term.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Ekblads next contract is going to be an anchor

Smart would be to keep Montour+ Forsling and trade Ekblad for assets. The prospect/asset pool is empty

Completely agree. I like Ekblad, I'm going to miss him, but I don't want to see first-hand how his next (final?) contract is going to age. I really don't.

 

[HuGort]

Would Florida move Knight if a team took Bob contract? With a starting UFA goalie going back on cheap contract.

 

[Desert Panther]

Ehh it kinda matters when we still have Bob signed at $10mil for 2 more seasons after this one and Knight getting his pay raise.

Reinhart is a UFA next season that we probably can't bring back.
Verhaeghe, Ekblad and Bennett are UFA after next season.

There's still pennies to be saved to keep the best parts of the core intact if possible.

I still think Bob is as good as gone off the books within hours of the clock striking midnight on 7/1/24. His NMC becomes a 16-team NTC. There will be a deal to be had with some percentage of retention.

Would Florida move Knight if a team took Bob contract? With a starting UFA goalie going back on cheap contract.

Doubtful. We're relying on Knight to take over next year as at least a 1B

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

7 mil for 5 years of Forsling is cool with me. Obviously less AAV would be cool for the teams cap but he’s a core player as far as I’m concerned.

Montour I’d want to see how he looks post-injury first. I’m willing to bet he won’t be a 70pt defensemen again but if hes still looking like he’s good for 30-50pts in a full season I’d offer the same contract or slightly more.

Both of them are in great physical condition. As long as no catastrophic injuries occur I don’t see them falling off a cliff in a couple years. Should still be solid into their early to mid-30s

 

[biturbo19]

These are both bound to be tricky contacts to work out. With their ages, and specifically in Montour's case, with the very short track record of top tier play. They're both going to want big money, and have a reasonable case for that being their value on the "open market". But i don't know that Florida is going to want to, or be able to afford the real premium that they could command elsewhere.

I'm betting they get a deal done with one or the other, and the other guy ends up walking.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Would Florida move Knight if a team took Bob contract? With a starting UFA goalie going back on cheap contract.

No way they move both of them, Bob being more likely to be moved of the two in the sense his age and cap hit.
Zito will be forced to retain around 40-50% and Knight will be expected to play 45 or more games the following season Bob is traded.

Bobrovsky's owed a bonus July 2024 and after that, his money owed is fair market value (~$5.5 mil in salary each of final 2 years) for his resume and his cap hit will be fine for a bubble team that needs a guy who can play 50ish games.

These are both bound to be tricky contacts to work out. With their ages, and specifically in Montour's case, with the very short track record of top tier play. They're both going to want big money, and have a reasonable case for that being their value on the "open market". But i don't know that Florida is going to want to, or be able to afford the real premium that they could command elsewhere.

I'm betting they get a deal done with one or the other, and the other guy ends up walking.

Ekblad could be moved to free up more space and most Panthers feel Bob won't play out his entire deal in a Florida jersey.

Forsling will likely get a Weegar comparable deal. 6-7 yrs X $6.25 million

Montour more likely gets higher AAV but less term with signing bonus money incentives, 5 yrs X 7 mil

 

[BB88]

Completely agree. I like Ekblad, I'm going to miss him, but I don't want to see first-hand how his next (final?) contract is going to age. I really don't.

Yep.

There’s no way 8-10M per year for Ekblad could work out.
That money can be better spent

 

[Breakers]

So impressed with both during the playoff run

And soured on Ekblad. He was attrocious. Shooting into the back of teammates legs trying to dump the puck in, not gaining center ice on other dump ins. Horrible breakout passes

 

[FrolikFan67]

In the 6s for each is what I’m expecting, anything under 6 for either of them would be fantastic. Forsling has been an absolute rock of stability back there and montour excelled beautifully when put in the top-4 (and produced very well during the entire playoff run).

 

[biturbo19]

No way they move both of them, Bob being more likely to be moved of the two in the sense his age and cap hit.
Zito will be forced to retain around 40-50% and Knight will be expected to play 45 or more games the following season Bob is traded.

Bobrovsky's owed a bonus July 2024 and after that, his money owed is fair market value (~$5.5 mil in salary each of final 2 years) for his resume and his cap hit will be fine for a bubble team that needs a guy who can play 50ish games.



Ekblad could be moved to free up more space and most Panthers feel Bob won't play out his entire deal in a Florida jersey.

Forsling will likely get a Weegar comparable deal. 6-7 yrs X $6.25 million

Montour more likely gets higher AAV but less term with signing bonus money incentives, 5 yrs X 7 mil

Ekblad is honestly a pretty tough contract to move at this point.

He can't skate and everyone's seen it. I'm not even sure what he is. He's not an offensive defenceman because he can't move the puck and he really doesn't have any offensive tools outside of that shot. He's not a defensive defenceman because he sucks at that too. He's like...a "poor man's" Severson basically, at this point. Still garners a huge contract from a desperate team. But is there another team out there, that desperate for a RHD to think he's worth it? When they have to actually trade for him?



I could see Vancouver sniffing around...but it still really doesn't make sense. It'd have to have Myers money going the other way. And i just really don't know what they'd send back.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Ekblad is honestly a pretty tough contract to move at this point.

He can't skate and everyone's seen it. I'm not even sure what he is. He's not an offensive defenceman because he can't move the puck and he really doesn't have any offensive tools outside of that shot. He's not a defensive defenceman because he sucks at that too. He's like...a "poor man's" Severson basically, at this point. Still garners a huge contract from a desperate team. But is there another team out there, that desperate for a RHD to think he's worth it? When they have to actually trade for him?



I could see Vancouver sniffing around...but it still really doesn't make sense. It'd have to have Myers money going the other way. And i just really don't know what they'd send back.

It'd be moved in offseason and he'd only have 1 yr left.
Vancouver or Dallas come to mind.

He's still a 40ish pt defenseman and can play above average defense when healthy.
His next contract will come with high risk of course but the buying team doesn't have to re-sign him if he doesn't work out on the new team.

I think a mid to late 1st and mid level prospect with some salary coming back isn't out of the question OR a really good prospect + 2nd:
[for a full year of 10+ goals, 40 or more points and 22-24 mins a night vs top opposition is too much to ask for].

 

[ShootIt]

Ekblad is honestly a pretty tough contract to move at this point.

He can't skate and everyone's seen it. I'm not even sure what he is. He's not an offensive defenceman because he can't move the puck and he really doesn't have any offensive tools outside of that shot. He's not a defensive defenceman because he sucks at that too. He's like...a "poor man's" Severson basically, at this point. Still garners a huge contract from a desperate team. But is there another team out there, that desperate for a RHD to think he's worth it? When they have to actually trade for him?



I could see Vancouver sniffing around...but it still really doesn't make sense. It'd have to have Myers money going the other way. And i just really don't know what they'd send back.

Hey, if Peter Chireall gets another GM gig we got a prime trade partner for Ekblad.

What hasn't helped Ekblad was his back to back leg injuries. Would be nice if he could survive the 2nd half without another injury.
I wouldn't say he sucks at defense. Not a shutdown defenseman but he's not a liability out there.

 

[BKarchitect]

Some GM would give something good for Ekblad in a trade and then shovel a big retirement contract his way, even as compromised as he is. I have zero doubts about this. Heck look what Zito himself gave up for Chiarot, and Zito has been a consistently good GM.

Ekblad is still big and has the allure of big, physical, hard shot tools even if he’s not even close to the same guy he was when he was younger and tends to get torched by quicker forwards especially in the up-tempo playoffs. He’s also still got a reputation I would imagine as an organizational front line defenseman even if he’s not actually that anymore.

A real opportunity here for Zito to cash him in to an organization that is desperate for an injection of name star power they can market on their blueline.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I'm not convinced Ekblad gets a huge return, especially cause it would be a pure salary dump. Ekblad also has a 12 team no-trade list, so he could list all the teams with cap space and that could severely limit the options.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

I'm not convinced Ekblad gets a huge return, especially cause it would be a pure salary dump. Ekblad also has a 12 team no-trade list, so he could list all the teams with cap space and that could severely limit the options.

Ekblad is owed a $3 mil signing bonus July 1st, 2024 so if Florida pays that, he's left with $4 mil in actual salary.

If you think $4 mil for 23 mins a night with 10 goals and 40ish pts is a pure salary dump, I'm living on Mars.