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. |
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 | 4.26 | 0.15 | 0.00 | 1.90 |
| 2024-25 | FLA | 56 | 966:06 | 0.19 | 0.93 | 1.12 | 0.20 | -0.01 | 4.17 | 4.46 | -0.29 | 0.00 | 2.31 |
| 2025-26 | FLA | 7 | 111:22 | 0.00 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.25 | -0.25 | 0.00 | 5.12 | -5.12 | 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 | 2.49 | 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 | 49.12 | 2.53 | 2.84 | 39.45 | 1.23 | 2.24 | 67.35 | 55.95 | 0.22 | -0.08 | 2.80 |
| 2024-25 | FLA | 56 | 966:06 | 51.11 | 2.67 | 2.75 | 41.86 | 2.11 | 2.42 | 55.84 | 53.23 | 0.26 | 0.45 | -2.62 |
| 2025-26 | FLA | 7 | 111:22 | 40.95 | 2.16 | 2.55 | 32.86 | 1.62 | 1.91 | 57.14 | 57.16 | 0.32 | -0.62 | 10.36 |
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
-
Recap; Game 3: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Florida Panthers at Flyer Nation (Tue Oct 14, 2025)
-
Fantasy hockey pickups: Zeev Buium's power-play success leads defensemen at ESPN (Mon Oct 13, 2025)
-
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2025 at Spectors Hockey (Sun Oct 12, 2025)
-
Panthers complete homestand by trouncing Senators 6-2 at Litter Box Cats (Sun Oct 12, 2025)
-
Panthers Take Down Senators 6-2 at The Hockey Writers (Sun Oct 12, 2025)
-
Ottawa Senators Mauled By Florida 6-2, Penalty Killing Struggles Continue at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sun Oct 12, 2025)
-
Panthers wrap up perfect season-opening homestand with 6-2 victory over Ottawa at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sun Oct 12, 2025)
-
Three NHL Players Who Took Discounts On New Deals In Recent Years at The Hockey News (Thu Oct 9, 2025)
-
Bryan Armen Graham’s Panther Hit Piece is an Embarrassment to Sports Journalism at The Puck Under the Sun (Thu Oct 9, 2025)
-
How the Ducks are building a new Western power at ESPN (Thu Oct 9, 2025)
-
Blood, bias and the Battle of Florida: how the NHL’s dirtiest rivalry exposed hockey’s old-boy rot at Yahoo Sports NHL (Thu Oct 9, 2025)
-
Panthers celebrate Stanley Cup win with banner ceremony, eye historic three-peat as NHL kings at NBC Sports (Wed Oct 8, 2025)
-
Welcome to the New South: Blackhawks at Panthers Preview at Second City Hockey (Tue Oct 7, 2025)
-
NHL Fines Lightning $100,000 And Coach Cooper $25,000 at The Hockey News (Tue Oct 7, 2025)
-
Scott Sabourin suspended 4 games by the NHL, J.J. Moser 2 games, Lightning fined at Raw Charge (Tue Oct 7, 2025)
-
Sabourin suspended after preseason penalty fest at ESPN (Mon Oct 6, 2025)
-
Lightning's J.J. Moser And Scott Sabourin Suspended For Altercations Against Panthers at Yahoo Sports NHL (Mon Oct 6, 2025)
-
The Hockey Show: Predicting winners for first NHL games of the season at Yahoo Sports NHL (Mon Oct 6, 2025)
-
It's going to be a busy day for Florida Panthers on eve of Opening Night at Yahoo Sports NHL (Mon Oct 6, 2025)
-
Injuries aside, Panthers remain Leafs' biggest Atlantic Division threat at Editor in Leaf (Mon Oct 6, 2025)
-
Battle Of Florida Reaches New Heights As The NHL's Biggest Rivalry at The Hockey News (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Ladies and Gents, Your 2025-26 Pittsburgh Penguins at PenguinPoop.com (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Lightning hit with multiple fines after final pre-season contest with Panthers at Raw Charge (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Panthers blast Lightning 7-0 in fight-filled preseason finale at Litter Box Cats (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Penalties consume Panthers preseason-ending win over Tampa; Aaron Ekblad leaves game early at Yahoo Sports NHL (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Andrei Svechnikov s'est fait absolument anéantir par Joakim Kemell en plein centre de la glace at HABSolument Fan (Sun Oct 5, 2025)
-
Panthers face nightmare start without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk at The Rat Trick (Mon Sep 29, 2025)
-
1 word for every Panthers defenseman, goaltender as Cats kick off Training Cma at Yahoo Sports NHL (Thu Sep 18, 2025)
-
Panthers : Brad Marchand admet que les impôts ont joué un rôle at Dans Les Coulisses (Wed Sep 17, 2025)
-
Here’s What The Rest Of The League Thinks Of The Devils’ Core at All About the Jersey (Mon Sep 15, 2025)
-
NHL’s Top 5 Defenses at The Hockey Writers (Sun Sep 14, 2025)
-
Evaluating the Maple Leafs’ Atlantic Division Rivals Ahead of the 2025-26 Season at The Hockey Writers (Thu Sep 11, 2025)
-
What Red Wings fans will expect when facing the Cup-hardened Panthers at Octopus Thrower (Mon Sep 8, 2025)
-
Ranking NHL Teams By Defensemen at The Hockey Writers (Mon Sep 8, 2025)
-
Sean Day and The Dark Side of Exceptional Status at The Hockey Writers (Wed Sep 3, 2025)
-
Five Teams that Stand in the Way of a Florida Panthers Threepeat at NHL Rumors (Fri Aug 29, 2025)
-
Five Teams that Stand in the Way of a Florida Panthers Threepeat at NHL Rumors (Fri Aug 29, 2025)
-
Panthers top blue liner opens up about re-upping in Florida at The Rat Trick (Wed Aug 27, 2025)
-
Where Do the Panthers Stack Up In the Atlantic in the Regular Season? at The Hockey Writers (Mon Aug 25, 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 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 4 | 14 | 7.1 | 23:53 | |||||||||
| NHL Career | 739 | 119 | 263 | 382 | +94 | 509 | 1808 | 6.6 | 22:54 | 83 | 8 | 25 | 33 | +21 | 87 | 142 | 5.6 | 23:44 | ||