Ekblad notched three assists, one on the power play, in Saturday's preseason win over the Kings.
The 28-year-old blueliner had a helper in every period, giving him a full head of steam heading into the regular season. Ekblad's had difficulty staying healthy in his career and is coming off a disappointing 2023-24 campaign in which he managed only four goals and 18 points in 51 regular-season games, but with Brandon Montour now in Seattle, the Panthers will be counting on Ekblad to bounce back in a big way this season.