It is a rumor that no longer sleeps. A rumor that rumbles, even in the middle of the eliminatory series.
Aaron Ekblad in Montreal. It is not a fantasy. It is not a bogus “gossip”. It is a possibility that is built every day, behind the scenes of the NHL.
And according to several well -connected sources in Florida, the name of Kent Hughes is on everyone’s lips in Sunrise.
For what?
Because everyone knows what the Canadian CEO wants: robustness. Wickedness. Strategic dirt. Of the scary physical presence.
A defender who can hurt in the corners, dictate the tone of a series, and send Tom Wilson to the bay window instead of letting Alex Carrier pick up his teeth.
And precisely, the perfect candidate has just been suspended two games for a wildlife.
Aaron Ekblad. A monster. A veteran. A dirty. But above all, a Stanley Cup champion with kilometers of skate behind him … and a big sign in the back: for sale soon.
Why now?
Because the panthers will not have the money. It’s as simple as that. The DG Bill Zito will not be able to remember everyone, especially since he wants to prolong Sam Bennett.
And Ekblad, which comes out of an 8 -year contract at $ 7.5 million, wants a last big check.
And this check, Kent Hughes is ready to sign it.
Yes, even if Ekblad has a past of injuries. Yes, even if it has just served a suspension for the use of prohibited substances. And another suspension for a dirty blow to Brandon Hagel against Lightning.
Hughes, who saw David Savard leave the Bell center in tears, knows that he must fill a void. Not just on the ice. In the locker room too.
And Ekblad is David Savard version 2025. A veteran with more wickedness, more mobility, more power … and above all, a glorious past.
A model for David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and the young people who come. Especially since he will protect them as a predatory big brother.
It’s rare. Very rare. But the name of Kent Hughes is floating in the hot air of Florida, even during the spring dance of the panthers. Because everyone has understood that the CEO of CH is not there to do not.
He knows exactly what he wants. And he knows that he will not be able to afford another physical humiliation in series like that suffered against capital. We saw Tom Wilson making the law. We saw Alex Carrier Demoli, the players of CH exceeded, intimidated and Xhekaj… invisible.
Imagine if Ekblad had been there.
He would have made Tom Wilson pay. He would have struck. He would have jostled. He would have imposed respect. And the message through the NHL would have been clear: Montreal is no longer a “soft” team.
And the arrival of Ekblad would sign the end of Arber Xhekaj
It’s cruel to say, but it’s inevitable: if Aaron Ekblad arrives in Montreal, Arber Xhekaj becomes useless. It is already on the tightrope. Too much indiscipline. Too much marketing. Too little consistency.
Ekblad is sheriff with talent, a cutting ring and a concrete CV. Xhekaj is a nice project … but less and less relevant. Especially since Martin St-Louis is not able to feel it.
If Hughes signs Ekblad, he will be able to exchange Xhekaj this summer, perhaps at the Philadelphia flyers or the Chicago Blackhawks.
It would be a nightmare for Xhekaj. He who was seen as a pillar, who made burgers in his name, who was tattooed Shetive in the soul and in his ego.
Seeing Ekblad landing in Montreal would be his disguised eviction.
But this is the kind of decision that Kent Hughes must assume to advance the club.
Ekblad will be 30 years old in February 2026. He wanted a 7 -year contract at $ 8 million per season. This is the price for an elite right -of -law defender with eaten crusts, experience and an immediate impact.
Kent Hughes would like a shorter contract and a lower annual salary than $ 8 million. It will be interesting to see how he will navigate in this folder.
Some will say: too expensive, too old, too risky.
But we don’t win a cup with just recruits. Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Hutson, Reinbacher… They need a godfather. Not a guy who looks at them from the gallery. A guy who is there, who strikes, who blocks shots, who grows in the back, who is mouth.
And Ekblad is this guy.
Kent Hughes has space on the wage bill. He can swallow Quebec taxes by giving massive bonuses. He has all the tools.
CH does not even need to make an exchange. He just needs to present himself with a serious offer.
Behind the scenes of the NHL, everyone expects Kent Hughes to move. He has the choices, he has young people, he has money. He misses a dirty and reliable defensive leader, a guy who knows how to win.
And at 29, Aaron Ekblad is still very effective, even if he is no longer in his “bonus”. He will still be dominant at 31, when David Reinbacher will become the general. He will be there to ensure the transition, to guide, to defend.
And above all … to protect Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and the other wonders.
If Kent Hughes wants Demidov to become a superstar in Montreal, he must surround him. And Aaron Ekblad, it’s the guardian angel that needs to be.
A guardian angel who also knows how to use his elbow, his knee, his shoulders and his bad humor.
David Savard left. Arber Xhekaj is suspended. Kaiden Guhle is fragile. Lane Hutson is shiny but light. You need a monster. You have to Ekblad.
And Kent Hughes knows. This is why his name already circulates in Florida, even though the panthers still play.
Because the CEO of CH is preparing its most important summer.
And if he succeeds in sign Aaron Ekblad, it will be the signal that reconstruction is finished.
No compromise. No half-measure. Just a big hammer in the locker room.
Aaron Ekblad in Montreal.
Maybe that’s it, the real start of the Canadian Stanley Cup version.
