Would you take Ekblad back at a "hometown" discount (4-5 million AAV)

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

They say when you see a game live you're struck by how fast the players are. Whoever said that never watched Ekblad. Lost in all the foot speed jokes, the offense has dried up as well. He had a golden scoring chance yesterday and shot it right at Levi. His legs are cooked and he's 28. I don't see how it improves? He wants to stay and I do wonder if he'd settled but it feels like a mid team good given him a blank check. Discuss.

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[WaitingForThatCab]

I voted yes, but only conditionally.

I think the term on the contract has to be lower than what we're seeing on other extensions, and the discount has to be real and appreciable. I remain a fan of the guy for having been a stalwart on this team for many years, but my concern about his deterioration is very real.

He's not scoring or making plays and his speed is becoming too much of a liability to see him taking the toughest minutes in the future. This isn't a knee-jerk reaction to three games, either, obviously. The offensive playmaking has steadily been getting worse to the point of being almost non-existent over the past couple of seasons.

 

[Gentle Man]

He's Willie Mitchell at this point

 

[KW]

No, time to move on

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I’d take him at less than that?

Love the guy, he has heart and he stayed committed to this shithole franchise when it was a shithole. This isn’t a “sell high” situation a la Huberdeau though. Bottom-6 defender gets bottom-6 money. Would happily extend a 6 year $20 million contract if if I was the GM. Of course… being 28, chances are someone offers him 6 years at $40 million.

 

[austropanther]

Ek with the Kuli contract conditions and we have a deal

 

[batting1k]

I voted no.

He has been consistently carried by his partner - Campbell, Weegar, and Forsling have all had to do the real work because he can’t skate. Throw in Matheson and Yandle who he spent time with too because of their skating ability. It’s widely known through several regimes that he can’t skate so I can’t imagine the rest of the league doesn’t see it as well. He hasn’t produced offensively since his rookie year.

I think a rebuilding team will pay him easily on the open market because he can be a good experienced leader but no serious contender will pay good money for him to play in their top-4.

Still can’t believe he did this:

 

[16Skippy]

I voted yes. I’m ok with that amount but it depends on the term.

We’ve got a whole season anyway to find out exactly how cooked he is.

 

[zeroG]

he's not cooked. i didn't see much of the game last night but he's been skating well, imo this year.

he was .5 ppg two years ago (throw last year out with the injuries...).

i think he's going to retire a panther. a wild guess would be 6x4.2M. i don't think you're going to find a better value than that for a 28yo stanley cup champion RD who's played top pair minutes his whole career.

 

[I am not exposed]

he's not cooked. i didn't see much of the game last night but he's been skating well, imo this year.

he was .5 ppg two years ago (throw last year out with the injuries...).

i think he's going to retire a panther. a wild guess would be 6x4.2M. i don't think you're going to find a better value than that for a 28yo stanley cup champion RD who's played top pair minutes his whole career.

Oh no you want to give him the dreaded Stanley Cup bump in pay.

 

[zeroG]

Oh no you want to give him the dreaded Stanley Cup bump in pay.

huh?

 

[FinlandPanther]

he's not cooked. i didn't see much of the game last night but he's been skating well, imo this year.

he was .5 ppg two years ago (throw last year out with the injuries...).

i think he's going to retire a panther. a wild guess would be 6x4.2M. i don't think you're going to find a better value than that for a 28yo stanley cup champion RD who's played top pair minutes his whole career.

He feel down wide open at the point with no pressure and gave up a breakaway. And before you say that can happen to anyone, it seems to happen to him way more.

 

[kerrabria]

You guys are deranged if you wouldn't take a top pair RHD at $4.5m AAV.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Without question.

 

[FrolikFan67]

Absolutely, I think that’s cheap for him, just depends on the length of the contract really. I’m not as harsh on him. Yes his foot speed is horrendous and will continue to get worse but if he were that bad I doubt we’re winning a cup with him on the top pairing and PK time. He’s still a smart defender which helps make up for his physical deficiencies. He’s also a great puck handler and good at flipping pucks out of the zone and still has a nice shot when he gets the chance to use it. If he came in at 5per or less that would be fantastic as long as the term is reasonable. There arent a lot of options at RHD in free agency, mostly just Pionk and that’s if he hits the market

 

[Sticksandsun]

Watching 32 year old Ekblad try and keep up when he already can't skate won't be fun

 

[Pablo El Perro]

At 4.5, he's passable.

 

[TotalHomer]

Tough call but I think you have to keep him at that price, just because the team is in a win mode now and can't lose another right shot defenseman. The UFA market is garbage too. The contract could turn into an anchor in a couple of years but that's something you have to live with.

 

[zeroG]

He feel down wide open at the point with no pressure and gave up a breakaway. And before you say that can happen to anyone, it seems to happen to him way more.

that happened to him last game - it was a hard, tough pass to handle that handcuffed him. i don't recall anything just like that ever happening before. recency bias.

 

[ProjectPanthers]

You guys are deranged if you wouldn't take a top pair RHD at $4.5m AAV.

Guy plays top pairing minutes on an Eastern Conference champ then Cup Champion team and people think he's a bum who shouldn't be in the league

Literal insanity. He's 28 years old lol. Do people realize how incredibly difficult it is to remodel your game the way Ekblad has done? The guy should retire a Panther.

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I’d take him at less than that?

Love the guy, he has heart and he stayed committed to this shithole franchise when it was a shithole. This isn’t a “sell high” situation a la Huberdeau though. Bottom-6 defender gets bottom-6 money. Would happily extend a 6 year $20 million contract if if I was the GM. Of course… being 28, chances are someone offers him 6 years at $40 million.

Talk about a hangover making its way into text. I meant bottom pair.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

If he wants more than Forsling, you let him go.

I think I’d be totally fine with 4.5 AAV for 4 years.

 

[Gentle Man]

Ekblad's last good year, and be he was freaking great, was the bubble year.


I think the 82 game grind is tough on him. 100%. Games are faster

He's an excellent playoff guy though (UNDER PoMo).

Can't believe he played through pretty much every injury under the sun 2 runs ago.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Literal insanity. He's 28 years old lol. Do people realize how incredibly difficult it is to remodel your game the way Ekblad has done? The guy should retire a Panther.

My dog has better maneuverability on skates than Ekblad. This remodeling you refer to is the consequence of him not being able to skate fast enough from his own end to the o-zone to support the forwards on attack. Therefore Ekky's fans have to rely on spin doctoring the narrative by stating that "ekky's not a offensive dman anymore. he's now a defensive dman!!"

He's 28yo dman who plays like 38yo. I'd rather have Brent Burns who's 39yo. Yeah, the situation is pretty grim for Ekblad in order for him to stay with the Panthers while Zito is at the helm.

If Ekblad has made enough money in his career then what's stopping him signing a $2.5milx6 (4milx3+1milx3) deal with the Panthers? If I was Ekky I'd take that guaranteed money with my bow legs. It's because he's not done taking the biggest paycheck available to him.

 

[ShootIt]

Closer to 4 than 5. Unless he injuries one of his legs again this season. At that point, a gopher tortoise may skate better than him.