Much has already been made of Brad Marchand’s upcoming trip through unrestricted free agency, with recent reports indicating he could earn as much as $8MM a year given his durability and impressive postseason performance with the Florida Panthers. Piggybacking off that report, TSN’s Chris Johnston shared today on TSN 1050 that Marchand will prioritize earning maximization on his next contract, rather than term.
Panthers Rumors
A.J. Greer Set To Rejoin Panthers Lineup For Game 3
As Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final looms, the defending champion Florida Panthers are getting a boost as forward A.J. Greer is set to return to the lineup, per Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com. Greer had been sidelined with an injury he sustained in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes.
Greer’s physicality will be something the Panthers will benefit from for the remainder of the series. In his first season with Florida, Greer led the team with 222 regular-season hits in 81 games. The 6’3″, 205-pound forward also made his presence felt in the playoffs before going down, racking up three points and dishing out 45 hits over 12 hard-fought games.
Discussing his return, Greer said, “I really hated watching from up top and not being with the guys and not being on the bench and not being able to play. But I had to make a decision that was going to be helpful to the team and helpful to what we’re trying to accomplish, and if I can’t be 100 percent, I’m not playing the right way.”
With Greer ready to rejoin the action, winger Jesper Boqvist will be the odd man out of the lineup. Greer will skate on the fourth line alongside Jonah Gadjovich and Tomas Nosek. Despite Game 1 stretching into deep overtime, Boqvist saw limited action, logging just 7:58 of ice time, which was nearly five minutes below his regular-season average over 78 games. He followed that with 8:41 in Game 2.
Greer’s return doesn’t come as a major surprise, as head coach Paul Maurice mentioned before Game 2 that the 28-year-old was trending in the right direction and had a chance to return.
“He’s on track but he won’t go tonight. But we think if he tracks out, he could be available for Game 3,” he said at the time.
Teams Not Expecting Sam Bennett To Reach Free Agency
While there wasn’t as much transaction activity at the draft combine as some expected, there was still a chance for many to get a sense of what NHL executives are thinking ahead of the draft and free agency. Regarding Panthers pivot Sam Bennett, arguably the top UFA center available on the heels of a spectacular postseason showing, “no one I spoke to around the league expects [him] to be available,” writes James Mirtle of The Athletic.
It wouldn’t be a surprising outcome. The Panthers have had a strong track record of success regarding keeping pending UFAs in the fold in recent years, particularly forwards. They got business out of the way early with winger Carter Verhaeghe, who could have been a UFA this summer but signed an eight-year, $56MM extension back in October, and kept star Sam Reinhart off the market on the eve of free agency last year with an eight-year, $69MM deal worth $8.625MM per season that came in a fair bit under his market value.
Both of those players took less money per season in exchange for the eighth year of security that only the Panthers can offer, plus the opportunity to continue spending their primes with a perennial championship contender in South Florida. Bennett should be expected to take some form of discount on what will presumably be an eight-year contract as well, but with how much his stock has risen amid a year where he leads the postseason with 13 goals in 19 games, that “discount” might even be more than he could have landed as a free agent last summer.
As such, a Bennett extension in Florida is still likely to cost at least $8MM per season, Mirtle said. That indicates there could be some smoke to the fire that erupted when Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic speculated there could be a handful of teams willing to offer Bennett close to $10MM per season if he decided to test free agency.
Even with a rising cap, though, $8MM is quite a lot of money for Florida to tie up in a center at his peak coming off a career-high of just 51 points in the regular season. With the much younger Anton Lundell signed at a much more cost-effective $5MM figure through 2030 and posting similar offensive production to Bennett in lesser minutes this past season, many speculated Florida would give him the keys to the 2C slot. Nonetheless, it appears their one-two-three punch of Aleksander Barkov, Bennett, and Lundell will be in place for at least the next five years, after which Barkov’s and Lundell’s contracts are set to expire.
Brad Marchand Discussed Future With Panthers
Just days after veteran defenseman Aaron Ekblad spoke about his future with the Florida Panthers, veteran forward and pending unrestricted free agent Brad Marchand has also addressed his future with the team.
Per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Marchand will consider re-signing with the Panthers, but the veteran of 1,100 career games is currently focused solely on the Stanley Cup Final.
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it. But we’ll deal with that in the future,” Marchand said.
In 10 regular season games with the Panthers after being acquired from Boston at the trade deadline, Marchand put up two goals and four points. However, Marchand was also shaking off some rust after sustaining an upper-body injury just a week before the trade. Marchand has hit his stride in the playoffs, recording 17 points in 19 games, highlighted by his overtime winner in Game 2.
While Marchand has appeared to be a perfect fit in head coach Paul Maurice’s system, the team has big decisions to make with their pending free agents. With a projected $19 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), the Panthers need to be strategic with where they allocate those funds, as Marchand, Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Tomas Nosek all set for free agency. While those four carried a combined cap hit of just under $19 million last season, each is expected to command a similar or higher salary on their next contracts. Marchand’s expiring deal came with a $6.125MM AAV.
Despite his age (37), Marchand is expected to draw significant attention on the open market, especially after proving he can still deliver under the bright lights of the playoffs. Marchand, however, did acknowledge that Florida’s chances of retaining him are helped by the fact that it’s one of six U.S.-based teams that come with no income tax.
“There are teams where that absolutely matters. It doesn’t matter for every player, but when you’re dealing with guys that have a choice between multiple teams, it absolutely plays a part. If you have two teams that are offering the same contract, you’re going to pick the team with less tax,” he said.
Although Marchand and Bruins GM Don Sweeney engaged in negotiations and were publicly optimistic about reaching an extension, the two sides ultimately failed to come to terms. That said, following the trade, Marchand noted he wouldn’t close the door on a potential reunion with the Bruins.
Johnston: Marchand Will Make $8MM On Next Deal
- Being the only team that can offer Mitch Marner an eight-year term before July 1st, Cam Robinson of EliteProspects has indicated the Toronto Maple Leafs could entertain a sign-and-trade scenario with Marner this offseason. The motivation behind the idea would be for Toronto to recoup some trade assets for Marner, rather than seeing him leave for nothing. However, a sign-and-trade at that level hasn’t been recorded since the Calgary Flames signed and traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in 2022 for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Given that any interested team could sign Marner to a seven-year deal, without having to give up any prized players, means this scenario is highly unlikely to play out this summer.
- A few days ago on The Chris Johnston Show, TSN’s Chris Johnston shared his belief that Panther Brad Marchand will get a raise this summer. Aside from the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, and the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, Marchand has played fewer than 70 games in one season since his sophomore campaign, showing a quality level of longevity entering his age-38 season. Coupled with his impressive run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers that’s seen Marchand score seven goals and 17 points in 19 contests, Johnston believes Marchand will earn an AAV of $8MM on his next contract, albeit on a shorter-term deal.
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Aaron Ekblad Hoping To Stay With Panthers
While Aaron Ekblad and the Florida Panthers are in the midst of their second consecutive Stanley Cup run, the star defenseman isn’t shying away from thinking about his future with the franchise.
According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the pending unrestricted free agent has expressed strong interest in resigning with the Panthers.
“I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers. I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I’ve given my body and everything to this team, and I want to keep doing it… forever, for as long as they’ll let me come to the rink,” he said.
Ekblad has spent his entire 11-year career in Florida after being selected first overall by the team in the 2014 draft. As an 18-year-old, Ekblad burst onto the scene in his rookie season, posting 12 goals and 29 points on his way to the Calder Memorial Trophy. In the years since, he has established himself among the elite defenders in the league. Through 732 career games, Ekblad has posted 380 points, 793 blocked shots, and 839 hits.
He is second all-time in games played for the franchise (behind teammate Aleksander Barkov), 10th in goals, third in assists, fifth in points, third in plus/minus rating, third in shots on goal, and first in defensive point shares.
While Ekblad is coming off of an odd season that included injuries and a 20-game suspension for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance (that he said he unknowingly took while recovering from his injuries), Ekblad still posted 33 points in 56 games.
With a projected $19 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), the Panthers should have the flexibility to bring their alternate captain back into the fold. However, they must also address the futures of several other key pending free agents, including Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Tomas Nosek. Ekblad’s expiring eight-year contract carried a $7.5 million AAV.
A.J. Greer Out For Panthers In Game 2
As the Florida Panthers look to even the Stanley Cup Final in Game 2 against the Edmonton Oilers, they’ll have to do so without forward A.J. Greer. According to team reporter Jameson Olive, coach Paul Maurice announced today that Greer will continue to be sidelined with an injury he sustained in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Hurricanes.
In his first season with the team, Greer has made an impact despite averaging just 9:36 of ice time per game. He appeared in 81 regular-season games, posting 17 points while leading the team with 222 hits. The physical forward has added two goals and three points during the playoffs. Maurice did, however, note that Greer is trending in the right direction and could be available for Game 3 back in Florida, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.
“He’s on track but he won’t go tonight. But we think if he tracks out, he could be available for Game 3,” he said.
Maurice noted there would be no lineup changes for Game 2, meaning wingers Jesper Boqvist and Jonah Gadjovich will slot in alongside center Tomas Nosek. Despite Game 1 going deep into overtime, Boqvist logged just 7:58 of ice time, nearly five minutes below his regular-season average over 78 games. In 12 playoff games, Boqvist has posted five points to go along with 38 hits.
After briefly exiting Game 1, Gadjovich returned to the ice, and Maurice confirmed yesterday that he’ll be available going forward. Through 11 playoff games, he has recorded two goals and three points.
Finals Notes: Hyman, Gadjovich, Nosek
Veteran winger Zach Hyman isn’t available for the Oilers for the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to make an impact on the team. According to NHL.com reporter Jamie Umbach, Hyman continues to make a positive impact through his leadership, despite undergoing surgery to repair the wrist he dislocated in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. Hyman said he’s staying around the team just as much as he would if he were playing.
“Life has a funny way of working. I truly felt that as a group, having gone through what we went through last year in that moment, that I knew most of our guys were coming back and that we had a hunger and a fire to get back to this point. I’m just looking forward to cheering the guys on, and I think we’re ready,” he said.
Hyman said he knew right away the wrist injury was serious after taking the hit, but he didn’t expect it to end his season. Initially, he believed he could play through the pain before team doctors ultimately shut him down.
“I think I was still a little delusional that I could play through it until after the surgery, obviously, and I was emotional in the moment. I don’t think you fully grasp it until a little bit later, and then you can get your head around it. Some things in life you can’t control, and this is one of them,” he said.
In other notes from the Stanley Cup Final:
- Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich briefly exited Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers but later returned to the ice. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed today that Gadjovich will be available moving forward, per Jameson Olive of NHL.com. The bottom-six forward skated just 6:02 of ice time in Game 1, but that’s not far off from his average during the playoffs of 7:40. Through 11 playoff games, he has recorded two goals and three points.
- Maurice also expressed support of forward Tomas Nosek following his overtime delay-of-game penalty in Game 1, which led to the Oilers’ game-winning goal, per Tim Capurso of Sports Illustrated. “We’re not here without Tomas Nosek. It’s a tough break. We make sure he doesn’t eat alone tonight, he has lots of people sitting at his table reminding him of how good he has been for us. It’s going to be tough. He’s going to eat that one for a day,” Maurice said.
Re-Examining The Conference Finalists’ Trade Deadline Acquisitions
The trade deadline is always an interesting time to reflect on with the benefit of hindsight. Several massive trades were made leading up to it, including two trades involving star forward Mikko Rantanen. With the playoffs down to just two teams, and a bit of a break coming, an opportunity has presented itself to re-examine the deadline and look back at some winners and losers, some two months later.
Looking back at the biggest deal between the Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes, it is interesting in retrospect, given that both teams lost in their respective Conference Finals. The deal involved Rantanen going to Dallas in return for Logan Stankoven, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick. Rantanen was later signed to an eight-year $96MM contract extension by the Stars, and now it looks like an absolute win for Dallas. Rantanen had come as advertised, posting nine goals and 13 assists in 18 games during the NHL Playoffs, with no games bigger than Game 7 of the first round when the 28-year-old had a hat trick to knock out his former team, Colorado. The trade for Rantanen solidified the Stars’ forward group. It gave them another high-impact forward to position them as a top Stanley Cup contender for the foreseeable future.
It’s hard to call Carolina a loser in the deal, given the haul that they got for Rantanen. Still, looking at their roster, they certainly lacked a gamebreaker in these playoffs and could have used Rantanen in the Conference Finals. Carolina fans will wonder what could have been had Rantanen stuck around. Still, Carolina probably did the right thing by recouping assets for Rantanen rather than letting him walk for nothing.
Dallas addressed other key areas at the Trade Deadline by acquiring forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci from the San Jose Sharks for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick in 2025. Granlund provided some offense, but his skating was an issue at times against some of the quicker Edmonton Oilers players, and defensive issues have also been a problem. Granlund did have five goals and five assists in 18 games during the playoffs, but that is off the offensive pace he set in the regular season, and he has benefited from good deployment and a solid PDO.
Ceci, on the other hand, hasn’t been great, as his underlying numbers are arguably the worst of any of the Stars’ regulars. Ceci’s acquisition was a bit of a headscratcher at the time, but Dallas has used him heavily (probably too much) in the playoffs, playing him over 21 minutes a night. Ceci had three assists in 18 games, but to his credit, he had some of the most challenging assignments nightly, contributing to his poor analytics.
Ceci’s former team, the Edmonton Oilers, didn’t have the capabilities of making a big splash at the deadline. Still, they did make a handful of acquisitions that have solidified key positions in their march to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers’ big moves were for forward Trent Frederic and defenseman Jake Walman.
Frederic was acquired to provide some sandpaper in the bottom six and chip in the occasional goal. It took a while for him to get going, thanks to a high ankle sprain, but he seemed to hit his stride in the second round against Vegas. Frederic hasn’t provided much offense, with just a goal and three assists in 16 playoff games, but he has been a physical threat anytime he’s on the ice, with 59 hits thus far. Frederic’s underlying numbers aren’t good, but he has been handed complex deployments and tough matchups as a member of the Oilers’ bottom six.
The Walman acquisition by Edmonton was a tidy piece of business, as the 29-year-old has helped stabilize the Oilers’ bottom pairing and has chipped in some offence as well. Walman has been given a very favourable deployment, which has allowed him to use his puck-moving ability and skating to contribute to Edmonton’s playoff success. Edmonton paid San Jose a steep price to acquire Walman, and while his results have been okay, it does feel like an overpay for what he brings.
The Florida Panthers were another team that was busy around the Trade Deadline, making a massive trade for defenseman Seth Jones on March 1st. The Panthers sent goaltender Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for Jones, who also came to Florida along with a fourth-round pick in 2026. Jones was dramatically overpaid in Chicago at $9.5MM annually, but with retained salary, is at a $7MM cap hit with Florida, which is much more in line with his play. Jones has been great since coming over to Florida, eating up a ton of minutes and providing above-average play in almost every aspect of the game. Jones struggled at times with the speed of the game, but has been an overwhelmingly positive presence for the Panthers; his acquisition has given Florida a very formidable defensive core that has brought them to a second straight Stanley Cup Final.
Jones wasn’t the only splash that Panthers general manager Bill Zito made at the Trade Deadline, as he also acquired forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. Marchand has been everything the Panthers were hoping he could be and more, playing a pivotal role in the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with three goals and five assists in seven games. Marchand’s acquisition cost Florida a conditional second-round pick in 2027 that has now become a first-rounder. Still, given his impact, Florida would likely pay it again if given the choice.
Lastly, we look at the moves the now-eliminated Carolina Hurricanes made at the Trade Deadline. As part of the Rantanen trade, Carolina was able to acquire forward Taylor Hall, who is no longer a Hart Trophy contender but remains a good player. The 33-year-old was the first overall pick in 2010 and had a decent offensive season this year with 18 goals and 24 assists in a bounce-back year after he was injured for most of the previous season. While Hall was a good acquisition for Carolina, it wasn’t enough to move the needle, and ultimately, their lack of meaningful additions cost them, as they didn’t have the horses necessary to get by the Panthers.
Outside of the trades involving Hall and Rantanen, the Hurricanes’ acquisition of Stankoven was a tidy little move that should pay dividends long term, as the 22-year-old was a steady point producer down the stretch with five goals and four assists in 19 games with Carolina. Despite being undersized, the Kamloops, British Columbia native also had a good playoff showing, with five goals and three assists in 15 games and should be a key contributor for the Hurricanes for a long time. His presence won’t lessen the sting of not being able to keep Rantanen in Carolina, but the Hurricanes didn’t walk away empty-handed and will have some other pieces of that trade in the fold very soon.
All that being said, the lack of a game-breaker badly hurt the Hurricanes, and they may look back on the move to trade Rantanen with a bit of regret, given that they lacked that player who could take over a game in the Florida series. Carolina continues to struggle to overcome the hump that is the Eastern Conference and probably should have been more aggressive at the Deadline given the state of their roster and their position in their competitive window.
Carolina made one other move for depth center Mark Jankowski. The 30-year-old finished the regular season strong with eight goals in his final 19 games but was used sparingly in the playoffs as he dressed in just seven games and had a single point. His move offered some depth, but it just wasn’t what Carolina needed to take down the formidable Panthers.
Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.
Aleksander Barkov Wins Frank J. Selke Trophy, King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The NHL has announced that Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov is the winner of the 2024-25 Frank J. Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward who exhibits the best defensive acumen. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off of the ice. This is the third time that Barkov has won the Selke, and the first time he has won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
Full voting results can be found here, courtesy of The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
Barkov joins prestigious company with his third Selke win. He now sits alongside NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to have won the award three different times. Only two players rank above the quartet – legendary Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron with six wins, and former Montreal Canadiens captain Bob Gainey with four wins..
Barkov’s place among greats is certainly fitting. He has built a strong reputation as a tireless worker – with the pace to win puck battles; the strength to win physical battles; and the tenacity to force opportune turnovers. Barkov posted the fourth-best xGA/60 (expected goals-against per 60-minutes) among all forwards with at least 850 minutes of ice time this season, per Evolving Hockey. Of note, no players ahead of him filled such a prominent top-end role for their club. In fact, Barkov’s 1.93 xGA/60 this season was far-and-away a career-best – trumping his previous best-mark of 1.97 set in the 2014-15 season.
It’s Barkov’s tenacity, drive, and ability to shutdown opponents that earned him both the Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He embodied a lead-by-example style and has carried Florida to new heights as a result. The team has developed into a true modern-day dynasty, slated to appear in their third-consecutive Stanley Cup Final beginning this week. Florida lost in their first appearance, but managed to defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the first Cup in franchise history last season. The Conn Smythe Trophy for 2024 playoff MVP controversially went to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, though Barkov was the second-place vote on 15 of the 17 ballots.
Interestingly, the 2024-25 season will also mark the first time in Selke Trophy history that teammates will finish as the top two finalists, with winger Sam Reinhart ranking second behind Barkov. Reinhart was one of the only players to post a better xGA/60 than Barkov this season, though their marks are only separated by 0.01. Reinhart finished fourth in Selke voting last season. The pair of Panthers finish ahead of Florida compatriot and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.