Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad was injured in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Stars. In the middle of the second period, he awkwardly went into the end boards after a hit by Esa Lindell. He needed to be stretchered off, holding his leg.
Aaron Ekblad acknowledged the crowd with a quick wave while being stretchered off in Dallas. Uncomfortable scene after his leg bent awkwardly while falling along the boards. pic.twitter.com/hDnBgYV2Ah
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 28, 2021
Aaron Ekblad Injured, Needed to Be Stretchered Off the Ice
Ekblad is one of Florida’s top defenceman. Through 34 games, he’s put up 21 points in the form of 11 goals and 10 assists. He’s already had 100 shots, and has a Corsi rating of 53.9%, with a relative Corsi of 2.0. Ekblad is fourth on the team in blocked shots with 27. Over his seven-year career, Ekblad has played 492 games, scored 82 times with 151 assists for 233 points. His overall Corsi rating is 51.5%, with an overall relative Corsi of 2.3.
Moving Forward for the Panthers
Playing over 25 minutes a night on average, losing Aaron Ekblad to injury is a massive blow to the Florida blue line. From the nature of the injury, it does not seem that he will be returning anytime soon. He plays the most hockey out of any skater per game on average this season. While he’s only 24, Ekblad is an experienced defenceman who is a fantastic leader. He’s been the backbone of the Florida defence since he was drafted by them in 2014. While Florida is extremely hot right now, losing Ekblad is a massive momentum killer.
Florida starts a two-game series against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. This is the perfect opponent to get Florida wins while their top defenceman is out. The Red Wings are an extremely weak team, so Florida should have no trouble handling them. However, Detroit is coming off a sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they’ll be looking to continue that momentum. If Detroit manages to beat Florida, it will be extremely detrimental to the Panthers’ chances at the number one spot.
**UPDATED INFO ON EKBLAD:
#FlaPanthers‘ Aaron Ekblad will miss the remainder of the season, requires surgery to repair his injury (left leg fracture) sustained on Sunday night in Dallas.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 29, 2021
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
