Extensions give Florida Panthers defined window to contend. Are they also a gamble?

"Florida has 10 players from its core - forwards Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand plus defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones - all signed through at least the 2029-30 season. All of them have no-movement clauses, meaning they can't be dealt away from the team without their approval."

""We have one of the deepest teams in the league, and we showed that over the last couple of years," Bennett said. "And the fact that we're keeping this main core together for the next, what is it, five years, that's pretty remarkable to do. It just shows that all these guys want to be here, and we care about winning. That's really our main focus is winning. It's going to be a fun ride for the next however many years.""

"But there is an inherent risk that comes with these elongated contracts, age being the biggest of them. Lundell is the baby of the group, not turning 24 until October. Tkachuk is next, turning 28 in December. Marchand is already 37, meaning he'll be 43 when his six-year extension wraps up. The other seven are all either 29 or 30 already, meaning they'll be 34-35 at the end of this window."

Florida Panthers have 10 core players — forwards Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand; defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling and Seth Jones — signed through at least 2029-30. All carry no-movement clauses that prevent trades without player approval. That group provides at least five seasons to remain elite and build on consecutive Stanley Cup championships. Long extensions introduce risk from aging, with several players now 29–37 and projected to be 34–43 by contract end. Heavy playoff workloads and short offseasons add wear that could affect long-term performance.

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