Red Wings Urged to Avoid Panthers Star in NHL Free Agency
The Detroit Red Wings need to make some big moves in NHL Free Agency this summer. They are well-positioned to do so financially, but the pressure is mounting in the Motor City after nine years without playoff hockey. One player the Red Wings are regularly linked to is Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
Ekblad has spent over a decade in South Florida with the Panthers. However, the 29-year-old is about to hit NHL Free Agency for the first time. He makes sense for any team looking to upgrade their blueline this summer. However, not everyone is looking to see Detroit make a run at the veteran.
The Hockey News reporter Caleb Kerney created a list of four free agents Detroit needs to avoid this summer. Ekblad is on this list. Kerney mentioned his availability as the main reason the Red Wings should steer clear in NHL Free Agency.
“Yes, Aaron Ekblad is a Stanley Cup Champion. And yes, he has good two-way ability. The main concern with the Florida Panthers defender is his durability and injury history,” Kerney wrote. “He hasn’t played a full season over the past six seasons because of injuries. The best way a player can improve a team is by actually playing. That’s not a guarantee with Ekblad.”
Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad Was Suspended Twice in 2025
Ekblad does have an injury history that teams like the Red Wings should consider when he hits NHL Free Agency. However, another consideration is the two suspensions he received in the 2025 calendar year. One was for violating the NHL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, which cost him 20 games after the trade deadline.
“The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock,” Ekblad said in a statement released by the NHL Players’ Association in March. “Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.
“I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry. I have accepted responsibility for my mistake and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over. I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates.”
The second suspension came shortly after his return from the first. And it came in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ekblad received a two-game suspension for a hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning star Brandon Hagel.
