Well, folks, the party isn’t stopping for the Florida Panthers after they brought Lord Stanley home for the second year in a row. “Same time at the Elbo Room, Matthew?” the official Stanley Cup X account posted after the Cats won it all in Game 6. Although they did have an eventful stop at the E11ven nightclub first, the Panthers didn’t disappoint as the party continued for Brad Marchand and Co. at the Elbo Room.

On the flip side, the Panthers’ GM, Bill Zito, is already brainstorming how to solve a serious problem. That’s because while the celebrations started even before the final buzzer rang, the questions about retaining three of their stars started soon after. So, who are the three stars due to become UFAs unless the Cats secure new contracts? Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad. And after Sam Bennett’s confession at the E11even, Marchand just dropped a huge hint at the Elbo Room.

Just like their night at the E11even, social media is full of clips of the Cats players having a ball at Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. And one of these clips that captured Brad Marchand seemingly dropping a huge hint about his future at Sunshine, Florida. “I’m not f***in leaving,” and someone says one more year, and he shakes his head and raises 4 fingers,” posted The FLA Cats Hockey Podcast host David Rodriguez.

This comes right after Sam Bennett took to the stage at the E11even and nearly brought the house down. “I ain’t f***in’ leaving,” said Bennett, garnering massive cheers from the fans. However, Marchand didn’t just say it once. Another clip showed the Florida Panthers star forward goofing around with the fans, who started chanting, “8 more years!” 

While Brad Marchand shut the noise down by waving no, he once again pointed four fingers at the crowd, who immediately changed their chant. “4 more years! 4 more years!” they said while cheering for a 37-year-old. That being said, not every update was a hopeful one for the Cats.

Aaron Ekblad didn’t match Brad Marchand and Sam Bennet’s vibe

While the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner won the E11even crowd over by allegedly proclaiming he wasn’t leaving, defenseman Aaron Ekblad got emotional. The previously $7.5 million AAV defenseman didn’t make bold proclamations about his future with the Panthers. Instead, what he said felt more like a goodbye, as he didn’t respond to the crowd’s “8 more years” chant either.

“Aaron Ekblad will most likely NOT return to the Florida Panthers next season. This video definitely seemed like his goodbye message at E11even in Miami. Where other players are getting hyped, he gets emotional,” X-user @FadetheZamboni wrote while posting the 29-year-old’s clip. Ekblad’s not being optimistic lines up with the predicament the Panthers find themselves in.

With a $19 million salary cap, experts are finding it hard to believe how the Panthers will retain all three of their stars. The Conn Smythe winner’s stock is projected to nearly double from his previous $4.4+ million contract to $7.7 million. Meanwhile, Marchand is due for a hike. What’s more? The 37-year-old’s four-year hint lines up perfectly with what Chris Johnston predicted.

The Athletic‘s NHL writer predicted the NHL veteran to sign a $32 million, 4-year contract on Friday. So it’s clear that at least something is afoot at the Panthers camp. The only problem is that with Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand dropping big hints, there may not be enough cap space to resign Ekblad. Then again, these are the hockey stars making hints, and the Cats haven’t confirmed anything yet.