Bill Zito was clear on his objectives after the Panthers wrapped up their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. “We want to keep everybody together,” the GM said at the Stanley Cup parade. But more importantly, his focus was on 3 players: Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand. The Florida fans have already got their Bennett and Ekblad good news. And guess what? We have the update that will send them into a frenzy.

Are you ready? The Florida Panthers have officially finalized a deal to keep Brad Marchand. The update was dropped by Katie Engleson, the Panthers’ rinkside reporter, via X. The tweet read: “The Florida Panthers officially announce they have agreed to terms with Brad Marchand on six-year contract extension. GM Bill Zito: “Instantly supplementing our lineup from the moment he arrived in South Florida, Brad has been an outstanding addition to our team.”

The Panthers will have the guy who gave them an extra edge in the 2025 Playoffs and finished with 10 goals, 10 assists and a rating of +17 in the postseason. Huge win for the Panthers, this! Marchand is a character who automatically boosts the competitive vibe in the locker room. And that was seen when he single-handedly dismantled the Maple Leafs with 1 goal and 2 assists in Game 7. Moreover, it was a road game for the Panthers.

The importance of Marchand can be seen in his performances during the big games. While everyone thought the Oilers would mount a credible challenge in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, the Panthers made sure their opponents were contained. And Brad Marchand started with a goal in the first 3 games of the series. The most crucial contribution came in Game 2, once again a road game, when the Panthers clinched a 5-4 Overtime win. Brad Marchand scored twice, including the OT winner.

But not just that. The 37-year-old brings a rich vein of experience and high offensive IQ. You know all the nicknames he has – Little ball of hate, the rat, and whatnot. But you can’t deny that Brad Marchand is a quality winger. There were rumors of the Canadian being offered a 4-year deal. But it looks like the Panthers management have shown real faith in their man. The figure that is being floated is $32 million, as per Elliotte Friedman’s tweet, with an AAV of a little less than $5.5 million.

We would say it is a win-win deal for both. And this allows the Panthers to go for another Stanley Cup charge in 2026. Because, their core is staying intact.

Brad Marchand renewal completes the big 3 target for the Florida Panthers

The Panthers are winning everywhere, aren’t they? Be it on the ice, or away from it. After the dominant 2025 Playoff campaign, every team in the NHL was hoping the Panthers would lose at least one of two key players from the roster. The rumors were that one of Marchand and Ekblad may have to be sacrificed because the Stanley Cup Champions had to work within a tight cap space of $19 million.

But the Cats first got Sam Bennett done. Offering an 8-year $64-million deal, the Panthers almost doubled the Canadian’s AAV from $4.4 million. Obviously, it was still less than the 10 million AAV in rumors, but Bennett wanted to stay at the organization. As for the Panthers, they get to retain the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner, who was the top scorer of the Playoffs with 15, 13 of them coming on the road.

But the biggest win for the Panthers has to be the Aaron Ekblad renewal. People were talking about how his $7.5 million AAV would be a hindrance in getting Bennett and Marchand to stay. Maybe the Panthers defenseman was looking for a higher payout at a different franchise. All rumors were put to rest when the 29-year-old signed an 8-year $48.8 million contract. What does the AAV read? $6.1 million.

Aaron Ekblad took a payout to stay at the Panthers. And that’s huge because he is a leader for the team in the locker room. His versatility allows him to be on the ice both during the penalty kills and the power plays. The Canadian had 4 goals and 9 assists in 19 Stanley Cup Playoffs Games in 2025. The Unrestricted Free Agency started on July 1st, but the Panthers fans have nothing to worry about.