Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Dishes three apples in win
Rotowire
Ekblad notched three assists in Friday's 6-4 win over the Stars.
Ekblad portrayed his versatility in Friday's victory -- he generated one helper at even strength, one on the power play and one shorthanded. The right-shot blueliner added three shots, one takeaway and a plus-2 rating to go along with a team-high 22:45 of ice time. Ekblad has logged two multi-point performances this season, but he's found the scoresheet in just three of his 12 appearances. Overall, the Ontario native has produced six assists and a plus-3 rating, but he's yet to find the back of the net in 2024-25.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Ends drought with two helpers
Rotowire
Ekblad picked up two assists in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Golden Knights.
The veteran blueliner had failed to record a point in five straight games, but Ekblad got off the schneid by helping set up Sam Reinhart in the second period and Eetu Luostarinen in the third. Adam Boqvist has been handling the point on the Panthers' top power-play unit but has just one assist through his first six contests this season -- Ekblad could reclaim that spot fairly quickly if the latter gets rolling.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Three helpers Saturday
Rotowire
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.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Scores goal in win
Rotowire
Ekblad scored a goal on four shots in Monday's 4-1 victory over Edmonton in Game 2.
Ekblad was able to bring a 31-game goal drought to a close, having last found the back of the net Feb. 20 versus the Senators. The blueliner's fantasy value figures to primarily come from defensive stats -- he has racked up 13 hits and 16 blocks across his last five outings -- but adding some offensive production should bolster his outlook heading into Game 3 on Thursday.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Snags helper in win
Rotowire
Ekblad recorded an assist in Thursday's 3-2 victory over the Rangers in Game 5.
Ekblad was able to bring his six-game pointless streak to a close with his helper Thursday but remains mired in a 29-game goal drought dating back to Feb. 20 versus the Senators. While the blueliner should continue to register plenty of hits and blocks in the postseason, fantasy players probably shouldn't be banking on him suddenly producing points regularly.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Pockets helper in win
Rotowire
Ekblad notched a shorthanded assist, eight hits, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 6-1 win over the Lightning in Game 5.
Ekblad set up the first of Aleksander Barkov's two goals in the game. Through five playoff contests, Ekblad has two helpers, six shots on net, 25 hits, nine blocked shots and a plus-4 rating. The 28-year-old continues to handle a heavy workload on the Panthers' top pairing, though he's been seeing minimal power-play time.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Ready to rock
Rotowire
Ekblad (undisclosed) will be ready to play in Game 1 versus Tampa Bay on Sunday, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site,
Ekblad sat out Tuesday's season finale versus Toronto. He struggled this season after returning from offseason shoulder surgery, scoring only four times and adding 14 helpers in 51 appearances.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Will be ready for Game 1
Rotowire
Ekblad (undisclosed) won't play in Tuesday's regular-season finale against Toronto, but he'll be ready to rock for Game 1 of Florida's upcoming first-round playoff series, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Ekblad will return to his usual top-four role once postseason play gets underway. He's picked up just 18 points through 51 games in what's been a disappointing season from an offensive standpoint for the 28-year-old defender.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Likely out until playoffs
Rotowire
Ekblad (undisclosed) is likely to miss the rest of the regular season, David Dwork of The Hockey News reports.
Even though Ekblad is slated to sit out the final five games of the 2023-24 campaign, he is projected to be available for Florida's playoff opener. Ekblad is poised to finish the regular season with four goals, 18 points, 98 shots on net, 59 blocked shots and 85 hits in 51 appearances.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Out Thursday
Rotowire
Ekblad (undisclosed) will miss Thursday's game against the Senators.
The specific nature and severity of Ekblad's injury is currently unknown, but even if he's sidelined for an extended stretch, coach Paul Maurice fully expects the veteran defender to be ready for the first game of Florida's first-round playoff series. It's been somewhat of a dissapointing season for Ekblad from an offensive standpoint, as he's only picked up 18 points through 51 games, but he's recorded an admirable plus-27 rating over that stretch as a key fixture on the Panthers' blue line.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Exits Tuesday's contest
Rotowire
Ekblad (undisclosed) won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Canadiens, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
Ekblad saw just 7:16 of ice time in this contest. He recently returned from a lower-body injury that cost him seven contests, but the Panthers didn't elaborate on why he exited Tuesday's game. If he can't play Thursday versus the Senators, Josh Mahura or Tobias Bjornfot would draw into the lineup.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Heavy workload in return
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) failed to record a point in 22:13 of ice time during Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders.
Returning from a seven-game absence caused by a collision with Vladimir Tarasenko, Ekblad saw his usual workload and was leaned on heavily on the penalty kill, seeing 7:47 of ice time with Florida down a man. It's been a tough season overall for the 28-year-old blueliner, who has only four goals and 17 points in 48 games, but with the Panthers having already clinched a playoff spot, Ekblad will try to use the final weeks of the regular season to regain his top form.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Returning to action Thursday
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) will be back in the lineup versus the Islanders on Thursday, according to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.
Ekblad sat out seven games with the injury. Ekblad missed the first 16 games of the season, recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and has struggled offensively. The 28-year-old blueliner has only four goals and 17 points in 47 games. If he is unable to pick up the pace, he will miss hitting double digits in goals for only the second time in 10 years. Ekblad will line up alongside Gustav Forsling on the blue line and should see some second-unit power-play time.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Inching closer to return
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) is "close" to returning, but coach Paul Maurice wants the defender to log at least two "heavy practices" before rejoining the lineup, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Ekblad will miss a seventh straight contest Tuesday against Boston, but it sounds like he could be ready to return sooner rather than later. The 28-year-old vet has had a down year from an offensive standpoint, picking up just 17 points through 47 contests.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Set to miss at least two weeks
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) will be unavailable for at least two weeks and he'll be considered day-to-day afterward, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Ekblad was injured in a collision with teammate Vladimir Tarasenko in Saturday's 5-1 win over Calgary. The 28-year-old Ekblad has four goals, 17 points, 94 shots on net, 55 blocked shots and 78 hits in 47 games this season. Josh Mahura is expected to draw into the lineup during Ekblad's absence, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson will slot in alongside Gustav Forsling.
Ekblad won't return to Saturday's game against Calgary due to a lower-body injury.
Ekblad logged just 5:10 of ice time versus the Flames. He sustained the injury when he collided with a teammate, according to Colby Guy of FloridaHockeyNow.com. Ekblad entered Saturday's action with four goals, 17 points, 44 PIM, 76 hits and 55 blocks in 46 appearances in 2023-24. Tobias Bjornfot, who was claimed off waivers from Vegas on Friday, might draw into the lineup Tuesday versus Dallas if Ekblad isn't available.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Set to return Tuesday
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) is expected to be in the lineup versus the Senators on Tuesday, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Ekblad has been struggling to produce offensively of late, as he has managed just one point in his last nine outings while adding 25 shots on goal, 15 hits and 12 blocked shots. The blueliner's return to action will likely lead to Josh Mahura getting scratched Tuesday.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Not playing Saturday
Rotowire
Ekblad (lower body) won't play Saturday versus the Lightning, according to Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Ekblad, who is considered day-to-day, will be replaced in the lineup by Josh Mahura. The 28-year-old Ekblad has three goals, 14 points, 79 shots on net, 45 blocked shots and 60 hits across 37 appearances this season.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Takes seven shots
Rotowire
Ekblad recorded seven shots against Washington on Thursday.
Despite Ekblad putting up a season-high seven shots, he remains stuck in a six-game pointless streak dating back to Jan. 19 versus Minnesota. At his current pace, the defenseman could record his second-lowest point total over the seven campaigns.
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Panthers' Aaron Ekblad: Drops four even-strength points
Rotowire
Ekblad earned a goal, three assists, and a plus-4 rating in Friday's 6-4 loss to the Wild.
Ekblad was a man on a mission in this home clash, but the Wild manufactured five power-play goals, plus an empty-net tally, to counter the defenseman's fiery attack. This was only the second multi-point game from Ekblad this season, and all of his offensive magic happened during 5-on-5 play. Ekblad has been downgraded to the No. 2 power-play unit, resulting in him netting just three man-advantage points -- with all of them being assists -- so far in 2023-24. Of course, a shoulder injury that required surgery caused Ekblad to get off to a late start to the campaign, and a minor lower-body issue crept up in December as well, so the Panthers are doing their part to manage the star blueliner's workload.
