The Florida Panthers are 60 games into the NHL season, with 22 more games to go before the NHL Playoffs start in mid-April. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Thursday night in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals rematch game. The Florida Panthers have been without star forward Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk sustained a lower-body injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Panthers are looking ahead at the trade deadline to get a player that can replace Tkachuk in the meantime. Will the Florida Panthers make a blockbuster trade?
Florida Panthers Making a Possible Blockbuster Trade at the Deadline
With Matthew Tkachuk out of the Florida Panthers line-up for the time being, they are looking at the trade deadline. The Florida Panthers have been linked to Jones through the rumor mill, although it is going to take some serious moves to make a deal like this possible. Jones is not your typical NHL Trade Deadline candidate. Seth Jones signed an eight-year contract extension worth $76 million with the Blackhawks.
However, another possible rumor is that the Florida Panthers are going after Mikko Rantanen, the Carolina Hurricanes forward, in trading following Tkachuk’s injury. It is uncertain whether the Hurricanes will be able to extend Rantanen’s contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. As for the Florida Panthers to make any such moves at the trade deadline, they would have to give up a player of their own. Florida’s defenseman, Aaron Ekblad, has been thrown around in the rumor mill as well for the Panthers to make a move.
It is hard to believe any such thing would happen with the Florida Panthers giving up long-time Panther Aaron Ekblad. However, Ekblad is playing on an expiring contract with 26 points through 56 games in 2024-25. General Manager Bill Zito and the Panthers’ front office have a reputation for executing aggressive moves, so even though dealing Ekblad could be against their best interests in keeping their blue line secure for the playoffs, he’s in play for a potential blockbuster shake-up.
NHL Trade Deadline is Approaching at Full Speed
Not only are the Florida Panthers in on the NHL trade deadline, but other teams around the NHL are also looking for players to make that playoff push. Some of the other “shocking” potential moves around the NHL are:
- Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers
- Seth Jones, D, Chicago Blackhawks
- Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins
- Erik Karlesson, D, Pittsburgh Penguins
- Chris Kreider, LW, New York Rangers
- Mikko Rantanen, RW Carolina Hurricanes
The NHLPA announced on Jan 31st that it was raising the NHL cap beyond the 2025-2026 season by extending it for three seasons. This gives teams an opportunity to improve rosters around the NHL. “I think this is going to be an interesting deadline. Everybody’s like, ‘We’re going to have money next year.’ So I wonder if you might see some actual contracts move,” one NHL team executive said. March 7th at 3 pm EST is the NHL trade deadline. It will be exciting to see which rumors are true and which teams make shocking moves as the deadline approaches in the next week.
