The Florida Panthers are making news again, this time for the way they are keeping their championship roster together.
Just a few days after signing Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64 million contract, the team secured Aaron Ekblad with an eight-year deal worth $48.8 million. Many around the league expected Ekblad to earn closer to $8 or $9 million per season on the open market, but he chose to stay in Florida at a team-friendly rate.
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General manager Bill Zito continued his impressive offseason by re-signing Brad Marchand to a six-year, $32 million extension. Marchand, who was acquired at the trade deadline, had been considering a return to Boston. He was also drawing interest from other teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Utah Mammoth. In the end, he decided to stay in Florida, giving the Panthers even more depth and experience up front.
The reaction from Matthew Tkachuk stood out. He posted a photo of himself and Marchand relaxing by the pool with drinks, offering no caption. That picture signaled how life is good in Sunrise, Florida.
— Matthew Tkachuk (@TKACHUKycheese_) June 30, 2025
After years of animosity between Marchand and Panthers fans, the change in tone is striking. With Marchand now a part of the team's future, it looks like Florida has turned a former rival into a key ally.
Most of the core from this season’s Stanley Cup team will return. The only remaining free agents are Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm, Mackie Samoskevich, Jaycob Megna, Nate Schmidt, and Vitek Vanacek. None were major contributors during the playoff run.
With the roster nearly intact, Florida is already being mentioned as a serious contender for another title run.
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