The Florida Panthers are your two-time reigning and defending Stanley Cup champions. Florida defeated the Edmonton Oilers for the second consecutive year in the Final back in June. Following this win, they kept the band together by re-signing Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad to long-term contracts.
Marchand is the elder statesman of the trio. And Bennett is coming off a Conn Smythe performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, Ekblad is the longest tenured Panther of the three. In fact, he’s spent his entire career in South Florida.
Ekblad did not want to leave the Panthers this offseason. He could have received a major payday from another team on the open market. Instead, he elected to sign a six-year, $48.8 million contract to potentially finish his career in Sunrise.
One reason he wanted to remain in Sunrise was the team’s contention status. The veteran defenseman — along with teammate Carter Verhaeghe — appeared on Good Morning America recently. He revealed that he believes this team has the chance to remain in contention for quite some time.
“We have won the Stanley Cup twice and we still have a long window to win more,” Ekblad said, via NHL.com’s George Richards. “Whether it is or isn’t next year, it is just as likely the following year. And the year after that, and the year after that. It’s really cool to be in this position.”
Aaron Ekblad Content With Trade-Offs For Cup Success
Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesAaron Ekblad is preparing for another deep playoff run with the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers’ success does come with some trade-offs. For instance, the team rests less than every other club in the league. They put more wear and tear on their bodies, given that they play over 100 games each season. These things can put some strain on their ability to perform.
However, Ekblad is alright with this trade-off. In fact, he sees some positives in it. Particularly, the Panthers defenseman believes the short rest can be useful for a player.
“It is way better because you never get out of shape,” said Ekblad, via Richards. “You have to start working out again within a week or two of the season ending. If you want to build any muscle, you need that amount of time. Right now, I feel great. I feel like I could start the season tomorrow.
“If you have four, five months off and start your offseason right away, you hit a plateau early and begin to hate the training. We never end up hating it, because there is not enough time for us to do that.”
Panthers’ Stanley Cup Outlook Remains Strong
It’s easy to pick the defending champions every year when discussing who can take the crown in the upcoming campaign. For Florida, though, it’s not a matter of them having already climbed the mountain. They are favorites to win the Cup again for a few different reasons.
The main reason is how they adapt to the postseason. Playoff hockey is always more physical, yes. However, the Panthers have shown that they are willing to bend the rules a bit to get in their opponent’s head. And the officiating crews let it play out since the stakes are high.
No other team in the NHL has been able to match them in this department. As a result, Ekblad and his Panthers teammates have another ring on their fingers. And until this changes, they could certainly add a few more before this is all said and done.
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