We are less than a week away from the start of NHL Free Agency. When July 1st arrives, we’ll find out where many of the league’s top unrestricted free agents will sign their next contracts. That group of UFAs include a trio of Florida Panthers, each who have played key roles in the team’s recent Stanley Cup success. They are forwards Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Bennett is fresh off his amazing run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping Florida win the historic trophy while earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. During Florida’s first days after winning the Cup, Bennett made a few public statements indicting his intention to stay with the Panthers, and it sounds like both sides are making progress toward making that happen. Look for Bennett to take a deal in the range of $8 million per season, give or take, over an eight-year deal. Marchand is also reportedly looking for some term on his next deal. He was very happy in South Florida after being traded to the Panthers at the Trade Deadline and proved to be one of their best contributors during the playoffs. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period [https://www.thefourthperiod.com/jun-2025/panthers-working-on-bennett-marchand-deals], Marchand may be working to obtain a multi-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) in the range of $5-$6 million. What does that mean for Ekblad? Well, Florida only has $19 million in cap space for next season. If both Bennett and Marchand take the lower end of those figures, it would still leave less money for Ekblad than what he was paid on his last contract. Would the 29-year-old former first overall selection be willing to take a pay cut on what could be the last big deal of his career? In addition to the three aforementioned players, Florida has several others who played key roles in their Stanley Cup win who are also set to be UFAs next week. They are Nate Schmidt, Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm and Vitek Vanecek, and rookie Mackie Samoskevich will be a restricted free agent this summer. Point being, the Panthers have more than a few holes to fill ahead of next season and they need to have enough money to do so. One final thing to keep in mind is that Florida doesn’t have to be under the cap until Opening Night. We’ll see how things play out over the coming days. Stay tuned. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers release full 2025 preseason schedule [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-release-full-2025-preseason-schedule] Panthers bring Stanley Cup to see Messi at Club World Cup match [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-bring-stanley-cup-to-see-messi-at-club-world-cup-match] Sasha Barkov explains why Panthers leadership wanted first-time winners to hoist Stanley Cup before anyone else [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/sasha-barkov-explains-why-panthers-leadership-wanted-first-time-winners-to-hoist-stanley-cup-before-anyone-else] Panthers Struck Gold Signing Veteran Defenseman [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-struck-gold-signing-veteran-defender] Panthers celebrate second straight Stanley Cup victory with sun-soaked parade along Fort Lauderdale Beach [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-celebrate-second-straight-stanley-cup-victory-with-sun-soaked-parade-along-fort-lauderdale-beach] Photo caption: Jun 4, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) reacts after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images)
