Top NHL defenseman Aaron Ekblad sent a clear message to the Boston Bruins ahead of free agency

The Boston Bruins have begun pulling string to make major moves this offseason in order to start off their re-tool with success, and one top target has been unveiled to be the Florida Panthers' pending UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent), Aaron Ekblad.

Ekblad has been little busy these days to analyze free agency, as he and the Florida Panthers have started up their Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the Edmonton Oilers.

Despite his busy schedule, when asked about his future, this defenseman was not shy to make an emphatic statement regarding how he hopes for his free agency to play out.

Take a look:

Ekblad on being a pending UFA:

Ekblad has spent his entire 11-year NHL career with the Florida Panthers and not one ounce of him seems to want to depart with his current organization.

However, his eight-year, $7.5M AAV contract expires at the end of June, and Florida has some decisions to make regarding how they will spend their projected $19M in cap space.

And this won't come as an easy decision for the Panthers, as they have plenty of key-players coming to the end of their deals, so all in all, it is not looking like Ekblad's outcome will conclude in another contract with Florida.

With that being said, Aaron Ekblad is still expected to hit the market this summer, and the Boston Bruins may just be able to acquire this blue-liner in time for their re-tool.

Do you think Aaron Ekblad will hit the market this offseason?