Confirmed Signing with Link: [FLA] Aaron Ekblad re-signs with Panthers (8 years, $7.500M AAV)

[CanadianPantherFan]

Question for Florida fans. How much do you guys think ekblad is worth right now. Is this the type of deal that in a couple of years it will be fair value or even a steal, or is he already worth 7.5 million.

Current day if you put all Dmen in a vacuum : 5.8-6.3 mil easily. By end of next year hopefully closer to 7 mil mark. He had over 180!SOG last year (Yandle will set him up on the PP like he's Burns next year) and he added new physicality and meaness to his game.

In his 3rd-4th year he needs to improve on his skating.

 

[The Gloaming]

#1D who happen to be right handed are and will continue to be at a premium for many years to come.

When this kid is winning Norris Trophies five years from now and his elite counterparts are making $11 million a year, this contract will be looked at as a steal.

Edit: hopefully he lights it up with Yandle next year. I want the Rangers management to bathe in their own stupidity. Because Stralman wasn't enough.

 

[The Gloaming]

I was thinking 9 for him!!

Honestly, Hedman might be worth close to the Toews/Kane contract.

 

[Not Sure]

You have RFA rights, why do you need to go out and spend that much on someone who hasn't been proven but based on potential? Notice how 'good' some of the contracts around young dmen after their ELCs are? You aren't signing an UFA here. If you want to compare Hedman, he got paid 4 mil caphit post ELC. All of the other good young dmen off their ELCs aren't getting this much, although this probably inflated Lindholm's contract. You are just paying for potential here which is a massive risk.

Montreal thought the same thing with Subban on his bridge deal, could of had him locked up for cheap right now, then he had a monster couple years and they still didn't want to pay him. I'm willing to bet that all of that nonsense is where the sour relationship started. Why risk it? You can lock him up now while you have cap space and buy UFA years that will look like a steal in 5 years. Look back 5 years at the big money signings and see if they still look like rediculous numbers with today's cap. If the PA didn't let the cap fall this year they aren't going to let it go backwards at all.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Just do it. The man's a beast back there on D.

 

[Iceman]

The thing with this contract for me is not that he won't be able to play up to it but the fact that Florida signed him to that contract so easily.

I believe they could've gotten away cheaper with not that much more effort. Are they afraid he might go elsewhere if they start with an offer him and his agent doesn't like?

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Could be steal, but that contract was 2 years too early I reckon.

 

[chunkylover53]

Montreal thought the same thing with Subban on his bridge deal, could of had him locked up for cheap right now, then he had a monster couple years and they still didn't want to pay him. I'm willing to bet that all of that nonsense is where the sour relationship started. Why risk it? You can lock him up now while you have cap space and buy UFA years that will look like a steal in 5 years. Look back 5 years at the big money signings and see if they still look like rediculous numbers with today's cap. If the PA didn't let the cap fall this year they aren't going to let it go backwards at all.

Uh I'm not saying bridge him. I'm saying they overpaid and didn't negotiate it well.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

The thing with this contract for me is not that he won't be able to play up to it but the fact that Florida signed him to that contract so easily.

I believe they could've gotten away cheaper with not that much more effort. Are they afraid he might go elsewhere if they start with an offer him and his agent doesn't like?

The other thing is that AE's contract will be terminated once he's supposed to enter his prime. Bad timing I say. Give him $5.5M AAV over 3 years and if he's as good as advertised then you lock him up $9M AAV until he's 31. That makes an average of $8M per season over 11 years, you take less risks and you profit of Eklad's prime years.

 

[WesMcCauley]

Uh I'm not saying bridge him. I'm saying they overpaid and didn't negotiate it well.

This i agree on. Dont see how they couldnt get it down to atleast 7 mill. Seems like they just said how much you want, his agent said 7,5 and Florida said, ok see you in 8 years for his next contract.

 

[The Gloaming]

The other thing is that AE's contract will be terminated once he's supposed to enter his prime. Bad timing I say. Give him $5.5M AAV over 3 years and if he's as good as advertised then you lock him up $9M AAV until he's 31. That makes an average of $8M per season over 11 years, you take less risks and you profit of Eklad's prime years.

The prime for most players seems to be about 22-28 now. Don't forget this contract doesn't kick in for another year.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If he does, he is only the 6th player to get at least 7.5m following an entry level contract. Insane

 

[wunderpanda]

I'm slightly delusional about Ekblad & think this will be a bargain in 2 years.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

The prime for most players seems to be about 22-28 now. Don't forget this contract doesn't kick in for another year.

I thought dmen tended to peak around 30... Don't have time now, but I'll look it up.

 

[KapG]

The prime for most players seems to be about 22-28 now. Don't forget this contract doesn't kick in for another year.

Dmen take longer to enter their prime

 

[Oates2Neely]

Great signing

 

[The Gloaming]

Dmen take longer to enter their prime

Some do. Some don't. Doughty made the Canadian Olympic team at age 20. Considering how good Ekblad is already, I think he'll enter his prime earlier. Hopefully his prime is also longer.

This contract still covers a lot of his prime.

 

[4uston M4tthews]

No player at 7.5 is a "steal" Lmao.

This is huge and has brutal ramifications.

 

[thadd]

If the money doesn't go to his head he's gonna be worth every penny.
I'm guessing that's like making 9M on most other teams and 10M on most Canadian teams considering the tax break they get in Florida.

 

[TCNorthstars]

No player at 7.5 is a "steal" Lmao.

This is huge and has brutal ramifications.

What are the brutal ramifications?

 

[thadd]

No player at 7.5 is a "steal" Lmao.

This is huge and has brutal ramifications.

I think you could easily list 5 players out there whom you could say are a steal at 7.5M.

Ovechkin, Crosby, McDavid soon, Tarasenko in a year or two from now, Doughty and OEL.

If having all of this money at such a young age doesn't affect Ekblad's development in a negative way I''m 99% sure you'll be able to put him on that list as well. Plays like a vet.

Like a much more skilled version of Alzner. I can remember when Alzner was coming to the draft they said that he might not become a #1 guy but he's so versatile and mature for his age that he was ready to be a top 4 guy out of the gate which is kinda crazy.... you'd think a top 4 d-man out of the gate would have potential to be a Norris winner somewhere down the line but the scouts seemed to have called it right. He's a decent guy on a top pairing.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Honestly a pretty bad contract. Not because he isn't worth it but because they completely failed to get the 'steal' contract you want to get with these kind of young d-men. Hedman is on a 4 million cap hit. That's how you do it.

 

[serp]

No player at 7.5 is a "steal" Lmao.

This is huge and has brutal ramifications.

If Benn gets only 7.5 on his new contract it would a steal . Then again UFA vs RFA and such.

I don't know the way the NHL works you kinda of need to get the most out of your young players while you can still control their fate as RFA's. This contract fails to do that.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Honestly a pretty bad contract. Not because he isn't worth it but because they completely failed to get the 'steal' contract you want to get with these kind of young d-men. Hedman is on a 4 million cap hit. That's how you do it.

So u think Hedman will sign for 7.5 then?

 

[Pandaman11]

The AAV is looking huge right now but THIS is the time when you pay your best players big money - not when they're 30 year old UFAs. Well done by Florida.

If he develops like expected and the cap continues to rise this will be a steal around 2020.