Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad takes big step toward return from drug suspension

In March, the Florida Panthers received stunning news surrounding defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad received a massive 20-game suspension following a violation of the NHL’s Performing Enhancement Substance policy, which was certainly a brutal blow for the Panthers at the time.

Florida dealt with a rash of injuries before and after the suspension. Ekblad being out left the team thin in terms of depth. What made things a bit more difficult is that it wasn’t exactly clear when the former No. 1 pick would be eligible to return.

Players suspended in this circumstance are usually prohibited from re-joining the team until 10 days before the suspension ends. However, Ekblad’s suspension carried into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Florida clinched a postseason berth, meaning Ekblad would be eligible to return for Game 3 of the Panthers’ first-round series.

There is now a solution to this matter. The NHL has allowed Ekblad to return to team activities 10 days before the second night of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic on Thursday. The second night of this year’s postseason is April 20th. This means Ekblad is now eligible to partake in team activities.

Ekblad emerged as one of the best defensemen in the game before the 2020s. However, his game has declined noticeably since then. Still, the Panthers defender is a very effective player who had a good performance in last year’s postseason. His performance certainly helped the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

It remains to be seen who the Panthers will face in the playoffs. As of now, it looks as if they will match up with the Tampa Bay Lightning once again. However, things can change between now and the end of the season. It will certainly be interesting to see how Ekblad affects the series once he returns to the lineup in Game 3.