The Florida Panthers came up just short in their quest for their first Stanley Cup championship this season. Given how close they came, the Panthers are almost certainly entering a Stanley Cup or bust season. And that winning ambition was a major draw for defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in NHL Free Agency.

Ekman-Larsson joined the Panthers on a one-year contract back on July 1. The veteran blueliner hit the open market after a massive buyout from the Vancouver Canucks in mid-June.

By his own admission, these last few seasons have not been easy for Ekman-Larsson. With that in mind, he saw no better option in NHL Free Agency than the Eastern Conference champions.

“I want to win and I want to play for a long time during the year, so I think that was kind of the decision,” Ekman-Larsson said, via the Miami Herald. “They’ve got a lot of good hockey players, plus a lot of depth on the team. I’ve only heard a lot of good things.”

Florida is no stranger to welcoming players looking to establish themselves. Forward Carter Verhaeghe and defenseman Brandon Montour are among the names that have broken out in South Florida.

Ekman-Larsson should have every opportunity to re-establish himself with the Panthers this season. Montour and Aaron Ekblad are likely to miss the start of the season with injuries. This could give Ekman-Larsson a big role to start the season. By the end, however, he could have a more relaxed role on Florida's back end.

How big a role he plays is not a major concern to the veteran defenseman. And how he plays after a tumultuous stint with Vancouver is certainly something to keep an eye on. Ekman-Larsson is focused on one simple thing. “I’m just going to try to do what I can to help the team win hockey games,” the Panthers defenseman said, via the Miami Herald.