It’s no secret that the Florida Panthers have become a team that players desire and aspire to be a part of. They’ve won back-to-back Stanley Cups and are built to continue competing for championships for the foreseeable future. Now it appears the last of their free agent dominoes is falling in their favor. After reaching deals with Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad to keep them in South Florida long term, now it’s Brad Marchand’s turn. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Marchand and the Panthers have agreed to terms on a six-year extension worth approximately $32 million. That would keep his average annual value at around $5.3 million. It’s an incredible development for Florida, who will now have a core of Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Gus Forsling, Sam Bennett, Seth Jones, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Marchand all signed through at least 2030. Props to Panthers General Manager Bill Zito and his staff for making all this happen, and to owner Vincent Viola for allowing the team to continue spending up to the rising salary cap. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Report: Aaron Ekblad staying with Panthers on long-term extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/report-aaron-ekblad-staying-with-panthers-on-long-term-extension] NHL Rumors: Insider Names 3 Suitors For Brad Marchand [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/nhl-rumors-insider-names-3-suitors-for-brad-marchand] Stanley Cup heading to Montreal, will soon have names of 2024-25 Florida Panthers engraved onto it [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/stanley-cup-heading-to-montreal-will-soon-have-names-of-2024-25-florida-panthers-engraved-onto-it] NHL Rumors: 3 Teams Who Could Target Panthers' Nate Schmidt [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/nhl-rumors-3-teams-who-could-target-panthers-nate-schmidt] Florida Panthers announce 2025 Development Camp roster, schedule [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-announce-2025-development-camp-roster-schedule] Photo caption: Jun 22, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UNITED STATES; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
