Look, I know this is an off-the-radar name to throw out there that probably seems insane to even suggest could be traded, but hear me out.
The Florida Panthers just pulled off a pretty big trade for a high-end, right-handed defenceman who has some term left on his deal. With this move, came the coinciding roster move of Matthew Tkachuk to LTIR to free up some money, which means someone may have to go.
It feels like Aaron Ekblad may be at the end of his runway in Florida. He’s a 29-year-old pending UFA, who effectively just had his exact spot and dollar amount replaced by Seth Jones. Jones being locked into a long-term deal may mean that the Panthers view Ekblad with one foot out the door. The trade certainly becomes more difficult given that they’re chasing Stanley Cups and Toronto is an interdivision rival, but is Ekblad worth losing for nothing if he may just be snatched up by an Atlantic Division or Eastern Conference team on July 1st? Would it not be worth exploring what you could get for him at the deadline anyway? To me, it feels like the Panthers put the wheels in motion to replace Ekblad at the end of the season, but given how savvy Bill Zito is, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Panthers upper-management has already started to poke around on how they can offload Ekblad for a return right now.
Why does this move make sense for the Maple Leafs? Well, the Leafs are in desperate need of another top-four, right-shot defenceman , and specifically one who can play the power play. Until the acquisition of Jones, Ekblad has been the quarterback of the Panthers’ first unit and provides more of a threat from the point than any of the Leafs current options. Adding a guy who can play top-four minutes in tough situations and quarterback your first unit (which has not been the prettiest) sounds too good to be true. Ekblad’s name has also been floated around, whether for fun or not, as a top target for this upcoming free agent window with an increasing cap. Why not get the party started a few months earlier, show Ekblad what Toronto can offer him, and get a playoff run out of the guy?
In 51 games played this season, Ekblad has accumulated 31 points, which would rank 7th on the Maple Leafs and only one point behind Morgan Rielly, who has played seven more games than him. Ekblad stands at 6-foot-4, 220 lbs, moves the puck very well, is a tough defender, and has a Stanley Cup under his belt playing some hard-nosed hockey with the Panthers. We all saw how Florida impacted Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s game away from the puck. Adding another one of those guys seems like the perfect player for a deep playoff run from this group and the ideal style to continue to build upon in this locker room.
It would be expensive, it would be complex, and it probably requires a conversation with Ekblad’s agent to gauge some interest in signing beyond this season before pulling the trigger, but if there’s a serious belief that this group can go far and the Maple Leafs are close to having the personnel in that room that’s needed to win the Stanley Cup, why not push your chips in and give it a shot? You’ve come up miles away for 8 years with this group and have not wavered, isn’t it time to make a splash and go for it?
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