The Florida Panthers announced that defenceman Aaron Ekblad is sidelined day-to-day with an apparent shoulder injury.
#FlaPanthers D Aaron Ekblad (suspected shoulder) not thought to be out of lineup long. Will miss B2B this weekend, possible return on upcoming roadie (Cbus, Ott, Buff, Pitt)
— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) December 27, 2019
Aaron Ekblad to Miss Back-to-Back Games
In a blow-out loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, Ekblad left the game early. With just under eight minutes left in the second period, he blocked a shot that went off his shoulder. Pinned in their zone, it took Ekblad sometime before he could get off the ice. He would leave shortly after and would not return the rest of the game.
So far this season, Ekblad has scored five goals and 18 assists for 23 points to go along with 16 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were above his career average with 52.8 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 4.5.
Over his six-year NHL career, Ekblad has played for only the Florida Panthers. He has 71 goals and 123 assists for 194 career points in 426 career games. He was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in the first round, first overall in the 2014 NHL draft.
Per David Dwork of WPLG on Twitter, Coach Joel Quenneville on Ekblad’s injury, “He’s doing good. We don’t expect him this weekend, but we’ll see on the road trip. He’s made very good progress over the past few days.”
What This Means for the Future
Since being named assistant captian before the 2016-17 season, Ekblad has continually grown leaps and bounds. He is playing some of his best hockey to date. Since the addition of Quenneville, Ekblad is making sure to take the next step. His offensive IQ has been off the charts and a force to reckon with on both ends of the ice.
His loss will be noticed tremendously this weekend against division opponents Detriot Redwings and Montreal Canadians.
Defenceman Riley Stillman has been recalled from Springfield to fill the gap in the meantime. This is the second time Stillman has been brought up to the Panthers before he skated in three different contests this season. Recording five minutes in penalties and no points.
SAN JOSE, CA – FEBRUARY 15: Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers skates against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on February 15, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Rocky W. Widner/NHL/Getty Images)
