The Florida Panthers have now reportedly secured all three of their three top pending free agents. After news emerged of Aaron Ekblad’s extension with the Cats, all eyes shifted to Brad Marchand, who soon followed suit. Before that, star Matthew Tkachuk fueled the suspense with a one-word statement on his social media.
According to reports, the Panthers have re-signed Ekblad to a very team-friendly eight-year deal with an annual cap hit of $6.1 millions. It’s undoubtedly a bargain for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. Florida simply cannot miss right now, or so it seems.
Marchand’s future was the biggest question mark in Sunrise after that moment, and it’s one that extended far beyond the Sunshine State. Every team in the NHL was interested in the veteran’s decision as he was set to become an UFA on July 1st. But it didn’t take long for Elliotte Friedman to report that Marchand would also stay in Florida.
Tkachuk makes a statement
The Panthers seemed to be confident they could keep Marchand around, though it was definitely be a steep climb. Just in case the efforts weren’t enough to convince Marchand, Tkachuk dropped a firm reminder on his social media.
“Caption,” Tkachuk said on his X, formerly Twitter, account when quoting a post that said: “No one wants to leave the Panthers“.
