Suspension of Panthers star defenseman could further jeopardize his future with team

The NHL announced a 20-game suspension for Florida Panthers star defender Aaron Ekblad for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program on Monday.

The Panthers right-handed shooting defender typically plays with Gustav Forsling. The pair has earned 54.5% of the expected goals this season when on the ice for Florida, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Ekblad has already acknowledged the failed test and his part in it in a statement released shortly after the announcement of the suspension:

"As the NHL announced, I have been suspended for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock. Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.

I have let my teammates, the Panthers organization and our great fans down. For that, I am truly sorry. I have accepted responsibility for my mistake and will be fully prepared to return to my team when my suspension is over. I have learned a hard lesson and cannot wait to be back with my teammates."

18 games remain in the regular season for the Panthers, who currently lead the Atlantic Division by four points. They could be without Ekblad for the start of the playoffs as a result. 

Ekblad, standing at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, is in the final season of an eight-year deal worth an average of $7.5M per season. He has been an integral part of the Panthers rise from irrelevance since being the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NHL Draft. His play has helped lead the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup appearances and a 2024 Cup win in seven games over the Edmonton Oilers.

Ekblad has had injury issues in the past. He has not played near a full season since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season when he suited up in 67 of 69 games. He has not played in all 82 regular season games since 2018-19.

He has had a strong season with 33 points (3g, 30a) in 56 games while grading out favorably in nearly all advanced possession metrics. He is the third-most utilized defender at 5-on-5 averaging 17:19 per game.

The former No. 1 overall selection's future with the team had already been called into question by the recent acquisition of disgruntled defender Seth Jones. Jones forced his way out of Chicago while only in the third-year of an eight-year contract. He plays the same position as Ekblad and is signed for five additional years at a smaller cap hit ($7M) thanks to Chicago retaining a portion ($2.5M) of the yearly cap hit in the trade. 

Meanwhile, the salary cap is rising faster than expected — set for $95.5M next season with the possibility Ekblad is at or near the top of the defense market. 

PuckPedia projects Florida with $19M in cap space for next season without Ekblad under contract. A deal isn't out of the question, but Florida is also hoping to extend center Sam Bennett. It's also not clear if they intend to offer a contract extension to newly acquired winger Brad Marchand.

In the trade for Jones, Florida dealt backup goaltender Spencer Knight, leaving no clear candidate for next season in that position.