JUST IN: Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad Gets Concerning Injury Update for Stanley Cup Push
On April 2, Aaron Ekblad sustained an unspecified injury during the Florida Panthers’ game against the Montreal Canadiens. It was announced on April 4 that Ekblad will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season.
During a pregame press conference on Thursday prior to the Panthers facing the Ottawa Senators, head coach Paul Maurice shared this information with the media, as reported by NHL.com.
Maurice mentioned, “This situation is not unexpected for us. Ekblad has a good understanding of the recovery timeline, and he is making good progress today. We will miss him.”
Ekblad played for just 7 minutes and 16 seconds over 11 shifts against the Canadiens before exiting the game and being ruled out for the remainder of that match.
Ekblad will likely miss rest of the regular season, but Cats are “quite confident” he’ll be 100% and ready for Game 1.
Maurice: “This is not new and it’s not unknown to us, what it is. He’s got a real good handle on how long it’s going to take. He’s progressing really well.”
Ekblad faced a setback just three games after his return
Following his absence from all games since March 9 due to the initial injury that sidelined him for the majority of the past month, Ekblad made a comeback on March 28. However, he only played for three games, totaling 7 minutes and 16 seconds, before being sidelined again on April 4.
The undisclosed injury Ekblad suffered occurred during the game against the Canadiens on Tuesday, as reported by Heavy. The Panthers were defeated 5-3 in Ekblad’s fourth game after his return from a two-week break.
Juraj Slafkovsky ne se laisse pas faire contre Aaron Ekblad! 😤 pic.twitter.com/ko8741mErA
— RDS (@RDSca) April 2, 2024
Maurice acknowledged Ekblad’s setback upon his return and the injury during a busy late-season schedule.
Addressing reporters post-game via Florida Hockey Now, Maurice stated, “I mentioned two weeks ago that we’d have players sidelined, illnesses, injuries… It’s all part of the demanding schedule.”
Considering the slim likelihood of Ekblad returning before the playoffs, he is expected to conclude the season with 51 games played, contributing 4 goals and 14 assists for a total of 18 points.
While the Panthers have secured a playoff spot as one of the top teams in the league, their recent performance of 2-7-1 in the last 10 games is subpar given their talent and the playoff aspirations.
In the previous season, with Ekblad playing a crucial role as a team leader, the Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Ekblad, the team’s top defenseman, averaged nearly 24 minutes of ice time per game (23:57) in the 20 playoff games.
This season, the Panthers have matched their last year’s regular-season points total (99 points) with an impressive record of 47-24-5 in 76 games.
Looking to improve their playoff seeding, the Panthers aim to narrow the gap with the Atlantic Division leaders, the Boston Bruins (103 points), by facing the Ottawa Senators (70 points) and striving for a higher position in the playoff rankings.
