Aaron Ekblad is one of the Florida Panthers' top pending unrestricted free agents heading into the summer. There is no question that the Panthers would love to keep him around, as he is their No. 1 defenseman and has been a huge part of their roster since being selected first overall by them in 2014.
Ekblad has been quite transparent about his preference being to stay with the Panthers, but that does not automatically mean that they will get a deal done. In fact, a recent concerning update makes it seem that the 29-year-old could end up testing free agency.
During a recent appearance on NHL Network, insider David Pagnotta revealed that the Panthers and Ekblad have a notable gap in their asking prices, and it seems likely that the right-shot defenseman will hit the free-agent market.
"It certainly sounds like Ekblad is going to test the market," Pagnotta said. "They've had conversations going back to last off-season, going back to this time last year to try and see if they could lock him in. They haven't been able to figure that out... The money still hasn't changed. They want him to take less than he is taking right now. He's at $7.5 million at an AAV. They want him more in the ($6 million range)."
This is undoubtedly a troubling update regarding Ekblad. If the Panthers and the star blueliner are unable to bridge this gap, he very well could end up going elsewhere next month. This would be a tough blow for the Panthers, as he is a massive part of their blueline and would be incredibly challenging to replace.
In 17 games this post-season for the Panthers, Ekblad has recorded four goals, 12 points, and a plus-4 rating.
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