NHL insider believes Aaron Ekblad's next move could 'change everything' for NHL defenseman market

Aaron Ekblad is one of, if not the top, pending UFA defensemen in the NHL this offseason.

The now two-time Stanley Cup champion had another very impressive postseason, shutting down the opposition's best alongside partner Gustav Forsling.

Ekblad has always indicated his desire to remain a Florida Panther for life; however, we know it will be difficult for Bill Zito to keep everyone around under the salary cap.

On Monday, Sportsnet NHL insider broke down how Aaron Ekblad's decision could have a domino effect on the rest of the defense market. He shared the link to the recent episode of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast" on X (formerly Twitter).

“I’ll say this: one move could really shake things up, because there are legit teams lining up to make a run at him. A right-handed shot defenseman, the way he played—teams covet that. If Florida finds a way to keep him, Ekblad would absolutely be leaving money on the table to stay. But remember, when he signed his last deal, it was super controversial. It changed the entire trajectory for defensemen contracts, especially for players coming out of their entry-level deals," Friedman said (22:38). "I think there are only a few teams Ekblad actually wants to play for. Handedness matters too—not every defenseman shoots the same way. Ekblad’s a righty, so if he stays, that’s great for a guy like Provorov. But if you’re a team looking for a defenseman, his decision could tighten the market significantly. It could change everything," Friedman added.

Ekblad is a pending UFA, having just played out the final season of the eight-year, $60,000,000 contract extension he signed with the Panthers in 2016.

Aaron Ekblad won't be following in Sam Bennett's footsteps

Sam Bennett has been very vocal about staying in Florida during the Panthers' Stanley Cup celebration.

Aaron Ekblad, on the other hand, does not want to get involved with the shenanigans around his contract status. Here was what the 29-year-old had to say during the parade. BR Open Ice shared the clip on X.

"After E11even, my agent called me and said, 'Don't say whatever Benny said," Ekblad said.

Aaron Ekblad has had quite the journey as a Panther, and you have to imagine both he and the front office will do everything possible to keep him in South Florida.

If not, plenty of teams around the league would love to get their hands on the right-shot defenseman.

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Edited by Jackson Weber