NHL Scouts Reportedly Concerned About Aaron Ekblad's Longevity Ahead of Free Agency

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad is a "polarizing player" among NHL scouts evaluating free agents this offseason, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

Ekblad has anchored the Panthers' top pairing through three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances and back-to-back championships.

Johnston reported, however, that "there are some concerns out there about how well Ekblad’s game will age" as he heads into his age-29 campaign.

Ekblad has not played a full season since 2018-19. He was limited to 51 games during the 2023-24 campaign after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

He was then held to 56 appearances last season due to injuries and a suspension stemming from an alleged violation of the NHL's performance enhancing drug rules.

Ekblad returned from that suspension during the Panthers' first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, at which point he quickly proved how valuable of an addition he can be when healthy.

He averaged 23:60 and contributed four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 19 playoff games while skating on the top pairing alongside Gustav Forsling during the Panthers' run to the Cup.

Ekblad was previously playing on the eight-year, $60 million deal ($7.5 AAV) he signed ahead of his 2017-18 season with the Panthers.

NHL Network's David Pagnotta recently reported that the Panthers want Ekblad to take a pay cut and accept an AAV in the $6-7 million AAV range in order to stay in Florida.

It is not yet clear if Ekblad, who is busy celebrating his second straight championship, will decide to take a pay cut in order to help the Panthers re-sign key free agents like himself and Sam Bennett or to test the open market.

In the latter case, other teams will need to weigh Ekblad's role on back-to-back championship winning defenses and his experience eating top-line minutes against his injury history and the potential of an age-related decline over the back half of his next contract.