Maple Leafs Could Make Run at Aaron Ekblad After New Seravalli Report

There's a lot of discussion about Aaron Ekblad and whether or not he's going to re-sign with the Florida Panthers. He's expected to get a big deal and Florida is going to do their best to keep him around, and keep their potential dynasty intact.

But there are going to be a lot of teams who are interested in the former first overall pick, and if they can bring a lot more to the table financially, Ekblad might be privy to join them.

A new report however from The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli shows that Ekblad is more than likely headed to free agency, as talks between Florida and the defenseman haven't really progressed:

It's not too much of a shocker given that Ekblad could command upwards of $9-10M on the open market per season, and with Florida looking to re-sign Sam Bennett among the other list of names they need to pay attention to; he might become too expensive.

Which is great news if you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Linked to the team for awhile, Ekblad would give the team a true two-way presence on the ice, add some much needed shooting and offensive on the blueline, and fits in perfectly with Craig Berube's passion and grit-driven system.

Ekblad, 29, had 33 points this season in 56 games for the Panthers; he missed some time due to injuries and a 20-game suspension for PED's.

In his career, Ekblad has 380 points in 732 games (118G, 262A) and has put up double digit goals in all but three of his 11 seasons. He would add an instant presence on the backend, with a player unafraid to actually put the puck on net.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner, a Calder Trophy winner, there's no denying the impact that Ekblad would make on the Maple Leafs, and with them looking in a different direction; saying goodbye to Morgan Rielly and hello to Ekblad would certainly do that.