3 Florida Panthers Who Won't Be Back Next Season: Post Trade Deadline Fallout

The Florida Panthers made some changes at the trade deadline that will cause a ripple effect in the offseason. Changes are going to have to be made and the team will lose some important pieces.

Aaron Ekblad

Aaron Ekblad is likely in his last season with the Panthers, especially after the acquisition of Seth Jones. Ekblad went from being a force at both ends of the ice to losing a good amount of production in the offensive zone over the past few seasons. He had some good showings this season, but he has also now been suspended until a couple of games into the first round of the playoffs. While still 29 years old, he is going to demand a lot of money and has already gotten his Stanley Cup. There's a chance he wants to stay in a familiar environment and keep winning, but Jones seems to have taken over his role now.

Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand was brought over by Florida in a late trade deadline deal and he is going to be very impactful for the defending Stanley Cup champions. That being said, he is on the books at a reduced price and there are a lot of forwards signed to big deals. The team also has to worry about re-signing Sam Bennett as he has been there longer and is younger. Marchand is likely just a rental here and will see what options he has in the offseason as he deserves more money than he has gotten on all of his contracts throughout his career.

Vitek Vanecek

Vitek Vanecek was acquired to be a backup replacement for Spencer Knight after he was moved, but as far as numbers go, Vanecek hasn't put up the best. He has a little bit of time to prove himself, but not necessarily enough to get a clear picture of what he could be as the backup in Florida after this season. I think there are going to be options for the Panthers and with Sergei Bobrovsky heading into the last year of his deal, the team needs a better plan moving forward.