Fresh off winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito was feeling confident about his ability to keep their core intact ahead of NHL free agency this summer.
“I think we can bring them all back,” he said as the on-ice celebration was in full swing behind him after Florida’s 5-1 win in Game 6 of the Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.
Zito was referring to three of the most prominent players available in free agency this summer: Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad.
The Panthers enter the summer with $19 million in salary-cap space, which may seem like a lot on paper — but once you start tallying up the price tags that come along with these guys — it quickly becomes clear how little money there is to go around. Florida only has 16 players under contract for next season, and must spend money wisely to retain their core and keep/add depth pieces.
One major advantage the Panthers have is that Florida doesn’t have state tax — a factor that may allow Zito to negotiate contracts at numbers the probably wouldn’t work in many other markets. As NHL insider Pierre McGuire said on the Rink Rap Podcast, “If players are prepared to say, ‘I’ll take $3 million less, or I’ll take $2.5 million less,’ then maybe they can keep all three.”
The Panthers have been down this road before. They re-upped with forward Sam Reinhart right before he could become an unrestricted free agent last offseason. But Florida also saw several key players form their 2024 championship squad depart in free agency, including defensemen Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and their entire fourth line.
But the stakes — and potential price tags — are higher this offseason with Bennett, Marchand and Ekblad.
Watch: Coast Guard Delivers Epic View of Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup Festivities
The Panthers have major decisions to make with free agents Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad
Sam Bennett
Few players in Panthers history have left an impact the way Bennett has since arriving in a trade with the Calgary Flames in 2021. The relentless 29-year-old center is a cornerstone in the Panthers core, and capped off a monster postseason by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. He led all skaters with 15 goals, a franchise postseason record, and had 22 points in 23 games.
“I always believed in myself,” Bennett said after lifting the Cup. “I always knew I could be more than I was when I first got traded. But it’s all a dream I guess until you actually do it. I don’t think I knew how difficult it would be and how much work it would take. My whole life switched when I got traded here, and super grateful to be here. I don’t take that for granted.”
Since joining Florida, Bennett has played in the playoffs each year, helping the Panthers reach three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Over 77 career playoff games with Florida, he has recorded 29 goals and 59 points — truly thriving on the biggest stage. As coach Paul Maurice put it, Bennett represents “the prototypical Florida Panther.”
Now the real challenge awaits, keeping Bennett in South Florida. Set to become an unrestricted agent on July 1, Bennett is coming off a four-year, $17.7 million contract that carried a $4.425 million annual cap hit, an absolute steal for Florida given his production. Now, after delivering a career-best season and playoff run, Bennett is positioned for a significant raise on his next contract. Bennett is seen as Florida’s top priority this offseason.
“It starts with Sam Bennett,” McGuire said. “I think he’s staying in Florida.”
Related: Sam Bennett among winners, losers from Panthers 2025 Stanley Cup Final repeat against Oilers
Brad Marchand
When the Panthers acquired Marchand from the Boston Bruins ahead of the trade deadline, few could have predicted just how seamless the transition would be. After 15 seasons in Boston, Marchand arrived in Sunrise and immediately fit in seamlessly with his fellow rats.
Though he played just 10 regular-season games with the Panthers due to injury, Marchand saved his biggest moments for the postseason. In 23 games, Marchand tallied 10 goals and 20 points, including six goals in the Stanley Cup Final alone. He scored two playoff game-winners, including the pivotal overtime winner in Game 2 which tied the Final 1-1.
Marchand may have saved the Panthers season with his Game 3 OT winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round after Florida lost the first two games.
“These are the best few months I have ever had in my career,” Marchand said following the Panthers championship win. “It’s an incredible group down here. I’ve loved every second of it, and hopefully it can continue.”
The post-Cup celebration may have offered a glimpse into his mindset.
Although clearly heavily intoxicated, his words shouldn’t be taken as a joke because it’s certainly a positive early sign for Florida heading into negotiations.
Marchand is one of those players opponents absolutely hate to play against, but teammates love to have in their corner. The intensity he brings to the game along with his experience and the ability to still play at the highest level brings another dimension to an already deep Florida roster.
“If Brad’s prepared to maybe not take as much as what he could get on the open market, then I think he can stay,” McGuire said.
But now, Marchand’s future sits among Florida’s biggest offseason questions. The vet is coming off an eight-year, $49 million contract that carried a $6.125 million cap hit. At 37, Marchand remains highly productive, but any new deal is likely to come on a shorter term given his age.
The Panthers have made it clear they want him back. The question is whether both sides can agree on a contract length and price point that makes sense as Marchand is approaching his 38th birthday.
Aaron Ekblad
For over a decade, Ekblad has been one of the faces of the Panthers organization. Selected No. 1 overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ekblad has spent his entire career in Sunrise, helping guide the franchise from a rebuild with an empty stadium, to back-to-back championships. Among defensemen in Panthers history, he ranks first in goals (118), assists (262), and points (380), and trails only center Aleksander Barkov in total games played (804-732).
Ekblad recorded 13 points across 19 playoff games this spring, including a strong Eastern Conference Final showing against the Carolina Hurricanes. This came after a regular season when he produced 33 points in 56 games, despite missing time due to both injuries and a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substance Program.
Now, for the first time in his career, Ekblad enters the offseason without a contract. His eight-year, $60 million deal signed in 2016 expires, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1. However, Ekblad made it clear that he has no intentions of leaving.
“I’ve spent 11 years here … It’s home, and I expect it to be home,” Ekblad said. “Conversations have been had. Obviously, nothing material yet, but they’ll be working on it. Things seem to come down to the last minute here.”
McGuire laid out the reality Florida is facing, “The big question mark is going to be on Aaron. He’s a lifelong Florida Panther. He’s a first overall pick. His entire career has been spent in South Florida, I’m sure he’s had amazing friends around that area. And so that player might say, ‘You know what, I’m prepared to play for X, and if he is, then they can keep all three. But if they all go to where they’re supposed to be, market value wise, they won’t be able to keep all three.”
Realistically, if all three major free agents want to return, Ekblad would have to accept a salary cut to make it possible. As the franchise cornerstone and second-longest tenured skater, the expectation may fall on Ekblad to show flexibility if it allows the Panthers to persevere their championship core.
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