Panthers star defenseman to miss rest of regular season, expected to be ready for playoffs

The Florida Panthers will be without star defenseman Aaron Ekblad until Game 1 of the postseason, head coach Paul Maurice shared at the team’s Wednesday practice. 

Ekblad exited the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens after just seven minutes of ice time, leaving with an injury yet to be disclosed. Whatever it is, it will hold Ekblad out of the team’s final six games — limiting his season to just 51 games after a shoulder injury delayed his season’s start to mid-November.

Ekblad posted his lowest scoring rate since the 2016-17 season, managing just four goals and 18 points, or a 0.35 point-per-game pace. The cold performance ended Ekblad’s three-year streak of scoring double-digit goals, which kicked off when he tallied 11 goals in just 35 games during the 2020-21 season.

Florida has made up for the absence of their former first-overall pick largely thanks to Gustav Forsling, who has taken over Ekblad’s role as a double-digit scorer and top-line defenseman. Forsling has 10 goals and 35 points in 73 games this season, continuing his streak of strong scoring after netting 37 and 41 points over the last two seasons respectively. 

He also leads the NHL in +/-, with a +47 — no doubt thanks to playing alongside Florida’s loaded top line, but also a testament to Forsling’s strong impact across the season. With stepped-up performances from Josh Mahura, Niko Mikkola, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Florida has been able to forge a blue-line capable of playing without Ekblad — though they’ll still eagerly anticipate his return after setting a 33-18 record when Ekblad is healthy.