The Florida Panthers are reportedly considering trading defenseman Aaron Ekblad and have already had discussions with some teams about him.
At least that’s what thefourthperiod.com reported on Thursday.
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The Florida organization, which just won the Stanley Cup, will likely have a tough summer given that it currently has 11 players who could become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Among them are Sam Reinhart, who scored 57 goals last season, and veteran defenseman Brandon Montour.
Ekblad, meanwhile, has one more season left on a contract that pays him $7.5 million per year. What’s more, his full no-movement clause will become partial on July 1, when he will have to submit a list of 12 teams to which he would agree to be traded, even if his preference is to remain with the Panthers.
The 28-year-old guard, the very first choice in the 2014 draft, has also just changed agents, now being represented by Craig Oster of Newport Sports.
Several teams are currently looking for a quality right-handed defenseman, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Nashville Predators.
Often hampered by injuries in recent years, Ekblad was limited to four goals and 14 assists in 51 games last season. He then had one goal and five assists in 22 playoff games.
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