Panthers GM Bill Zito Makes an Announcement on UFAs Tied to Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito is riding high after winning his second straight Stanley Cup, and believes he can bring his free agents back and create a dynasty.
It's been quite the ride for the Florida Panthers this season as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers for their second straight Stanley Cup. It was a dominant effort headed by a wild four-goal night from San Reinhart, and saw Sam Bennett win the Conn Smythe.
Bill Zito wants to see Florida become a dynasty; believes he can re-sign key free agents
However the team is expected to lose a few key contributors this summer to free agency including Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand among others. But for GM Bill Zito, he doesn't think it'll be that much of an issue:
I think we can bring them all back.
It would be a remarkable bit of business for Zito to not only be able to retain Bennett but keep Ekblad and Marchand as well; two extremely important players that severely dampen Florida if they were to leave.
Both men are expected to command a hefty raise in free agency, and the reports that both Marchand and Ekblad could receive north of $8-million per season for their next deals; that's a lot of money to commit.
So what could this mean for the Maple Leafs?
Toronto needs to offer the moon in order to pursue free agents
It means first and foremost they need to be proactive this summer and get ahead of other teams in determining how they should approach their free agency.
Ekblad is going to be a bit harder to convince, and if Zito can find a middle ground with him, there's a very good chance he re-ups for less money but keeps being consistently competitive for years.
Marchand on the other hand might be more privy to coming over. A self-professed Maple Leafs fan, it would give him a chance to win in Toronto, find a new challenge in his career, and still get paid handsomely.
If Brad Treliving is truly serious about changing the DNA of the team, and Bennett is seemingly unavailable after reports have him and Florida extremely close to an extension then Marchand makes perfect sense.
Giving him a three-year deal at $25-million seems like a huge overpayment but this isn't your typical free agent, and sometimes you gotta spend a little more to get the right fit for your team.
They also need to make sure they offer as many extra financial incentives as possible, and if they can toss an extra few million towards a player through endorsements and sponsorships; that helps out even more.
It's going to be hard to convince players to leave a team where they not only just won the Cup, but can continually be a repeat contender for the next half decade.
But money talks, so Toronto needs to get that conversation going soon.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 18 | 909 ANSWERS Panthers GM Bill Zito Makes an Announcement on UFAs Tied to Maple Leafs Do you think Florida can bring back all their pending free agents? | ||
| Yes | 252 | 27.7 % |
| No | 657 | 72.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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