Aaron Ekblad
| Position | Right Defense | Current Team | Florida Panthers |
| Shoots | Right | Current Contract | 8 years |
| Height | 6'4" | Expires | 2032-33 |
| Weight (lbs) | 220 | Expiry Age (Jun 30) | 37 |
| Age | 29 (Feb 7, 1996) | Expiry Status | UFA |
| Drafted | 2014, Round 1, Overall 1 (FLA) |
| Date | Team | Transaction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2025 | Florida Panthers | Signed 8 years @ $6.100M AAV starting in 2025-26 | |
| May 6, 2025 | Florida Panthers | Suspension Ended | |
| Apr 29, 2025 | Florida Panthers | Suspension Started | |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Florida Panthers | Suspension Ended | |
| Mar 10, 2025 | Florida Panthers | Suspension Started | |
| Jul 1, 2016 | Florida Panthers | Signed 8 years @ $7.500M AAV starting in 2017-18 | |
| Sep 7, 2014 | Florida Panthers | Signed to an entry level contract. |
2025-26 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20252026/aaron-ekblad-8477932.png
2024-25 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20242025/aaron-ekblad-8477932.png
2023-24 Player Card
URL: https://www.thestanleycap.com/cdn/player_cards/20232024/aaron-ekblad-8477932.png
About Player Cards
Player cards present an infographic of a players performance. In this case it shows the player performance over a 3 season span. Each square is separated into three separate sub-boxes with the two smaller boxes on top representing the past two seasons and the larger box on the bottom representing the current or most recent season. This allows the reader to guage how consistent a player has been, and if early in the season it can help identify whether a players performance may be impacted by small sample size and subject to regression or is consistent with recent past performance.
Notes and Definitions
- The numbers represent percentiles so the higher the better.
- Percentiles are determined by comparing Forwards to Forwards and Defensemen to Defensemen.
- Bursts/mi are calculated from NHL Edge Data are are speed bursts above 20mpg per mile skated. The NHL doesn't adjust for ice time so the players that skate more will naturally have more bursts over 20, or at least more opportunity to have more. The NHL also does not provide ice time in the context of NHL Edge Statistics, however, it does provide distance skated. By adjusting for distance skated it will have a similar effect to adjusting for ice time but also adjust for situationional effect. For example, Players don't typically skate as much on the PK, mostly within the defensive zone, so don't get significant opportunity in that ice time to get speed bursts above 20mph. Adjusting with miles skates would account for this better than adjusting with ice time.
- Sh%AE is Shooting Percentage above Expected (Sh% - xSh%) and is an indicator of how good a shooter is at converting chances into goals.
- Relative statistics are On Ice - Off Ice statistics and can be an indicator of whether the player makes his teammates better or worse.
- All data is 5v5 except Shooting Hardest and Average, Skating Top Speed and Bursts/mi which are all situations, ES Average which is even strength (NHL doesn't give a specific definition).
Data Sources
- Salary data is from TheStanleyCap.com
- Shooting and Skating (except Sh%AE) are from NHL Edge
- Other statistics are from Puckalytics.com and derived from data from NHL.com
Terms of Use
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Note: The image will update daily throughout the season so if you want to include snapshot then you must download the image.
If you have any questions, send an e-mail to the e-mail address at the top of this page.
5v5 Individual Stats
| Season | Team(s) | GP | TOI | G/60 | A/60 | Pts/60 | xG/60 | GAE/60 | Sh% | xSh% | Sh%AE | %SA Rush | %SA Reb. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | FLA | 78 | 1303:36 | 0.41 | 0.60 | 1.01 | 0.26 | 0.16 | 7.56 | 4.66 | 2.91 | 1.89 | 2.52 |
| 2016-17 | FLA | 68 | 1117:41 | 0.21 | 0.38 | 0.59 | 0.31 | -0.10 | 2.78 | 4.05 | -1.27 | 1.61 | 3.76 |
| 2017-18 | FLA | 82 | 1413:50 | 0.38 | 0.47 | 0.85 | 0.30 | 0.08 | 7.09 | 5.62 | 1.47 | 0.51 | 3.05 |
| 2018-19 | FLA | 82 | 1470:21 | 0.29 | 0.57 | 0.86 | 0.22 | 0.06 | 5.69 | 4.45 | 1.24 | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| 2019-20 | FLA | 67 | 1163:07 | 0.21 | 1.29 | 1.50 | 0.29 | -0.09 | 3.57 | 5.05 | -1.48 | 1.41 | 1.41 |
| 2020-21 | FLA | 35 | 591:54 | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.81 | 0.29 | 0.12 | 7.41 | 5.23 | 2.17 | 0.00 | 2.63 |
| 2021-22 | FLA | 61 | 1039:25 | 0.58 | 1.10 | 1.67 | 0.29 | 0.29 | 8.40 | 4.23 | 4.17 | 0.67 | 4.70 |
| 2022-23 | FLA | 71 | 1139:47 | 0.21 | 0.58 | 0.79 | 0.33 | -0.12 | 3.10 | 4.86 | -1.76 | 0.58 | 5.81 |
| 2023-24 | FLA | 51 | 781:44 | 0.23 | 0.46 | 0.69 | 0.22 | 0.01 | 4.41 | 4.28 | 0.13 | 0.00 | 1.92 |
| 2024-25 | FLA | 56 | 966:06 | 0.19 | 0.93 | 1.12 | 0.19 | -0.00 | 4.17 | 4.27 | -0.11 | 0.00 | 2.31 |
| 2025-26 | FLA | 15 | 246:25 | 0.00 | 0.73 | 0.73 | 0.15 | -0.15 | 0.00 | 4.14 | -4.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
5v5 On Ice Stats
| Season | Team(s) | GP | TOI | SAF/60 | GF/60 | xGF/60 | SAA/60 | GA/60 | xGA/60 | GF% | xGF% | xGF Rel | xGA Rel | xGF% Rel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | FLA | 78 | 1303:36 | 38.25 | 2.58 | 2.18 | 37.28 | 1.93 | 2.16 | 57.14 | 50.21 | -0.03 | -0.12 | 1.04 |
| 2016-17 | FLA | 68 | 1117:41 | 43.80 | 1.61 | 2.33 | 42.25 | 2.52 | 2.44 | 38.96 | 48.80 | 0.13 | 0.07 | 0.69 |
| 2017-18 | FLA | 82 | 1413:50 | 46.30 | 2.93 | 2.52 | 49.27 | 2.76 | 2.86 | 51.49 | 46.79 | 0.05 | 0.58 | -5.23 |
| 2018-19 | FLA | 82 | 1470:21 | 43.09 | 3.26 | 2.49 | 44.11 | 3.35 | 2.72 | 49.38 | 47.84 | 0.27 | 0.37 | -0.76 |
| 2019-20 | FLA | 67 | 1163:07 | 44.42 | 3.40 | 2.59 | 37.45 | 2.32 | 2.26 | 59.46 | 53.39 | 0.37 | -0.26 | 6.51 |
| 2020-21 | FLA | 35 | 591:54 | 41.87 | 2.23 | 2.48 | 35.88 | 1.82 | 1.98 | 55.00 | 55.59 | 0.00 | -0.17 | 2.09 |
| 2021-22 | FLA | 61 | 1039:25 | 50.68 | 3.81 | 3.23 | 35.33 | 2.19 | 2.27 | 63.46 | 58.75 | 0.22 | -0.26 | 4.42 |
| 2022-23 | FLA | 71 | 1139:47 | 48.22 | 2.74 | 3.02 | 43.48 | 3.11 | 2.85 | 46.85 | 51.48 | 0.03 | 0.18 | -1.38 |
| 2023-24 | FLA | 51 | 781:44 | 48.81 | 2.53 | 2.83 | 39.37 | 1.23 | 2.28 | 67.35 | 55.36 | 0.22 | -0.01 | 2.17 |
| 2024-25 | FLA | 56 | 966:06 | 50.55 | 2.67 | 2.70 | 41.61 | 2.11 | 2.44 | 55.84 | 52.53 | 0.24 | 0.48 | -3.21 |
| 2025-26 | FLA | 15 | 246:25 | 42.61 | 2.43 | 2.63 | 36.04 | 2.19 | 2.23 | 52.63 | 54.12 | 0.14 | 0.25 | -1.61 |
NHL Edge Stats
| Skating | Shooting | Zone Time | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Top Speed | Bursts>20/mi | Avg. Speed | ES Avg. Speed | Top Speed | Avg. Speed | %Long Range | %Mid Range | %High Danger | ES DZ% | ES NZ% | ES OZ% |
| This table is for Basic and Premium subscribers only. To view please login to and/or subscribe to one of our subscription plans. | |||||||||||||
Legend
| Percentile 0-25 | Percentile 25-50 | Percentile 50-75 | Percentile 75-100 |
5v5 Defense Pairs
| Season | Teammate | Team | TOI | GF/60 | GA/60 | GF% | xGF/60 | xGA/60 | xGF% | xGF Rel | xGA Rel | xGF% Rel |
|---|
Glossary
| Type | Statistic | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | G/60 | Goals Against per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | A/60 | Assists per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | Pts/60 | Points per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | xG/60 | Expected Goals per 60 minutes. |
| Individual | GAE/60 | Goals Above Expected (G/60 - xG/60). |
| Individual | Sh% | Shooting Percentage. |
| Individual | xSh% | Expected Shooting Percentage. |
| Individual | Sh%AE | Shooting percentage above expected (Sh% - xSh%). |
| Individual | %SA Rush | Percentage of shot attempts determined to be on the rush. |
| Individual | %SA Reb. | Percentage of shot attempts determined to be from rebounds. |
| On Ice | SAF/60 | Shot Attempts For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | GF/60 | Goals For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | xGF/60 | Expected Goals For per 60 minutes. |
| On Ice | SAA/60 | Shot Attempts Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | GA/60 | Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | xGA/60 | Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (lower is better). |
| On Ice | GF% | Goals For Percentage = Goals For / (Goals For + Goals Against) |
| On Ice | xGF% | Expected Goals For Percentage = Expected Goals For / (Expected Goals For + Expected Goals Against) |
| On Ice | xGF Rel | xGF/60 when On Ice - xGF/60 when not On Ice. |
| On Ice | xGA Rel | xGA/60 when On Ice - xGA/60 when not On Ice (lower is better). |
| On Ice | xGF% Rel | xGF% when On Ice - xGF% when not On Ice. |
News and Opinions
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Three NHL Players Who Took Discounts On New Deals In Recent Years at The Hockey News (Thu Oct 9, 2025)
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Penalties consume Panthers preseason-ending win over Tampa; Aaron Ekblad leaves game early at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sat Oct 4, 2025)
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Panthers top blue liner opens up about re-upping in Florida at The Rat Trick (Wed Aug 27, 2025)
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Why Aaron Ekblad was never going to the Red Wings at Octopus Thrower (Mon Aug 18, 2025)
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Red Wings Offer to Ekblad, McDavid Extension & More NHL Rumours at The Hockey Writers (Sat Aug 16, 2025)
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Aaron Ekblad should be the last Florida Panthers player to wear No. 5 at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sat Aug 16, 2025)
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Les Red Wings se préparaient à formuler une offre importante pour Aaron Ekblad at HABSolument Fan (Thu Aug 14, 2025)
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Panthers players Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe make appearance on Good Morning America at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sat Aug 9, 2025)
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Deen’s Daily: Potential Kadri Destinations; Ekblad Talks Contract Extension; Mueller’s Retirement at Colorado Hockey Now (Mon Jul 28, 2025)
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Positives & Concerns For Panthers' Extensions Of Marchand & Ekblad at The Rat Trick (Tue Jul 1, 2025)
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Red Wings have new problems to deal with after the Panthers’ busy Monday at Octopus Thrower (Tue Jul 1, 2025)
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LA Kings would love if Vladislav Gavrikov agreed to team-friendly deal like Ekblad at Rink Royalty (Mon Jun 30, 2025)
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Red Wings could land Aaron Ekblad (and that might just be the start) at Octopus Thrower (Sun Jun 29, 2025)
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Florida Panthers Could Sacrifice Ekblad to Sign Bennett, Marchand at The Rat Trick (Wed Jun 25, 2025)
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Looking at the Panthers 2025 Offseason at The Puck Under the Sun (Mon Jun 23, 2025)
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How these two playoff performances can help Senators sign this Panthers defenseman at SenShot (Mon Jun 16, 2025)
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3 Sabres dream free agent signings to win the Stanley Cup in 2026 at Sabres Noise (Wed Jun 4, 2025)
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Aaron Ekblad: Stop Underestimating His Worth at The Rat Trick (Fri May 23, 2025)
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Panthers vs. Hurricanes Game 2 Preview: How To Watch, Odds, Injuries, Notes, and Keys at The Rat Trick (Wed May 21, 2025)
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Panthers hand Maple Leafs an embarassing Game 5 beatdown at The Rat Trick (Wed May 14, 2025)
Current Contract
Standard Contract (UFA) ( ) (0 ratings)
Standard Contract (RFA) ( ) (0 ratings)
| Season | Age* | Clause | Cap Hit | AAV | Perf. Bonus | Sign. Bonus | Salary | Compensation | Minors Salary | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 21 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $5,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | RFA | |
| 2018-19 | 22 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,000,000 | RFA-arb | |
| 2019-20 | 23 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | RFA-arb | |
| 2020-21 | 24 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $4,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $6,000,000 | RFA-arb | |
| 2021-22 | 25 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $3,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | UFA | |
| 2022-23 | 26 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $4,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $6,000,000 | UFA | |
| 2023-24 | 27 | NMC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,000,000 | UFA | |
| 2024-25 | 28 | M-NTC | $7,500,000 | $7,500,000 | - | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,000,000 | UFA | |
| Total | - | $29,000,000 | $31,000,000 | $60,000,000 | $60,000,000 |
Entry Level Contract ( ) (0 ratings)
| Season | Age* | Clause | Cap Hit | AAV | Perf. Bonus | Sign. Bonus | Salary | Compensation | Minors Salary | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 18 | $925,000 | $3,775,000 | $2,850,000 | $92,500 | $832,500 | $925,000 | $70,000 | ELC | ||
| 2015-16 | 19 | $925,000 | $3,775,000 | $2,850,000 | $92,500 | $832,500 | $925,000 | $70,000 | ELC | ||
| 2016-17 | 20 | $925,000 | $3,775,000 | $2,850,000 | $92,500 | $832,500 | $925,000 | $70,000 | ELC | ||
| Total | $8,550,000 | $277,500 | $2,497,500 | $2,775,000 | $210,000 |
Career Statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | League | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | Shots | Sh% | TOI/G | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | Shots | Sh% | TOI/G |
| 2010-11 | Exhib. | Sun County | 14 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| 2010-11 | Minor-ON | Sun County | 30 | 4 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 18 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 14 | ||||||||
| 2011-12 | OHL | Barrie | 63 | 10 | 19 | 29 | -5 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -1 | 8 | ||||||
| 2012-13 | OHL | Barrie | 54 | 7 | 27 | 34 | +29 | 64 | 22 | 7 | 10 | 17 | +11 | 28 | ||||||
| 2013-14 | OHL | Barrie | 58 | 23 | 30 | 53 | +9 | 91 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -4 | 14 | ||||||
| 2014-15 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 81 | 12 | 27 | 39 | +12 | 32 | 170 | 7.1 | 21:49 | |||||||||
| 2014-15 | WC-A | Canada | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | +10 | 6 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 2015-16 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 78 | 15 | 21 | 36 | +18 | 41 | 182 | 8.2 | 21:41 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0.0 | 25:37 | |||
| 2016-17 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 68 | 10 | 11 | 21 | -23 | 58 | 225 | 4.4 | 21:28 | |||||||||
| 2016-17 | WCup | Team North America | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 2017-18 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 82 | 16 | 22 | 38 | +9 | 71 | 189 | 8.5 | 23:23 | |||||||||
| 2017-18 | WC | Canada | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | +5 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 2018-19 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 82 | 13 | 24 | 37 | +1 | 47 | 180 | 7.2 | 23:39 | |||||||||
| 2019-20 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 67 | 5 | 36 | 41 | +12 | 26 | 147 | 3.4 | 22:59 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 0.0 | 25:13 | ||||
| 2020-21 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 35 | 11 | 11 | 22 | +5 | 33 | 101 | 10.9 | 25:05 | |||||||||
| 2021-22 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 61 | 15 | 42 | 57 | +38 | 26 | 180 | 8.3 | 24:55 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 11 | 23 | 4.3 | 23:51 |
| 2022-23 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 71 | 14 | 24 | 38 | -14 | 68 | 216 | 6.5 | 23:24 | 20 | 2 | 6 | 8 | +9 | 20 | 26 | 7.7 | 23:57 |
| 2023-24 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 51 | 4 | 14 | 18 | +27 | 50 | 98 | 4.1 | 20:52 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 6 | +4 | 16 | 33 | 3.0 | 22:33 |
| 2024-25 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 56 | 3 | 30 | 33 | +11 | 53 | 106 | 2.8 | 23:31 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 13 | +10 | 38 | 36 | 11.1 | 24:00 |
| 2025-26 | NHL | Florida Panthers | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -3 | 6 | 24 | 4.2 | 23:08 | |||||||||
| NHL Career | 747 | 119 | 265 | 384 | +93 | 511 | 1818 | 6.5 | 22:53 | 83 | 8 | 25 | 33 | +21 | 87 | 142 | 5.6 | 23:44 | ||