Ekblad will be eligible to play Saturday vs. Edmonton if Florida is able and willing to activate him in time. The 26-year-old has been out since October 17th when he left a game against Boston early with a lower-back injury. Through his first three games of the season, he had one goal and seven SOG while leading the Panthers blueline.
Ekblad left Monday's game with a lower-body injury and has landed on LTIR, which means he'll miss at least 10 goals or 24 days. The Panthers have yet to provide a timeline on his injury but this is obviously terrible news for a team that was already thin on the blueline.
Ekblad has been out since March 18th but is set to play in Game 1 of the postseason. Ekblad will log huge minutes on the top with Mackenzie Weegar and return to the top power-play unit right away. He had an outstanding season, finishing fifth among defensemen in points-per-game (0.93).
Moving Ekblad to LTIR opens up $7.5M in cap relief ahead of Monday's trade deadline. Ekblad will miss the rest of the regular season but should be ready to go for the first round of the playoffs. Losing Ekblad will hurt down the stretch but they are expected to use the cap-space to add Robert Hagg from Buffalo and could add more before the deadline.
Ekblad left Thursday's game and was unable to put any weight on his right leg, so overall this is positive news. Head coach Andrew Brunette said that they will know more once the swelling goes down. Ben Chiarot will meet the Panthers in Montreal and will likely make his debut, replacing Ekblad in the lineup. Mackenzie Weegar is expected to take his spot on PP1.
Ekblad could not put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off of the ice in the first period of Friday's game in Anaheim. Given Ekblad's long history of serious injuries, there was cause for concern. Head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters post-games that there was no structural damage and it was "positive news tonight and we'll go from there." All-in-all, it sounds like Ekblad avoided another serious injury and won't be sidelined long-term.
Ekblad went down awkwardly on Sunday and is expected to be out at least 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture. This is obviously a huge blow for the Panthers but also an unfortunate injury for Ekblad, who was enjoying a career year.
Ekblad missed last night's game vs. the Red Wings but will play tonight vs. the Canadiens. Ekblad has played very well recently, posting eight assists in his last eight games.
Ekblad was forced to leave Monday's game in Tampa Bay and was not on the ice when the Panthers reconvened for practice after the Christmas break. Ekblad, who has six assists in his last five games, will sit out the weekend back-to-back but head coach Joel Quenneville expects to "see on the road trip."
Ekblad was on the ice for the Panthers morning skate but did not come out for warmups. Ekblad is day-to-day with an illness, so look for him to be back in the lineup in Calgary on Thursday. Mark Pysyk will draw into the lineup for him tonight.
Ekblad has missed the last four games with a concussion, but will return to the Panthers’ lineup vs. the Hurricanes. Ekblad has scored 10 goals with 11 assists (21 points) in 67 games this season. Expect Jakub Kindl to be a healthy scratch.
Ekblad was forced from Saturday’s game in Tampa Bay with a concussion and is expected to miss at least one week—which is four games for the Panthers this week. This is a tough loss for the Fantasy playoffs because Ekblad has four points (2G / 2A) and a ridiculous 51 shots in his last 11 games.
Ekblad was sent home after suffering a neck injury and a reported concussion at the World Cup of Hockey. Ekblad is back skating in Florida and is expected to be ready to anchor the Panthers’ top-pair in the season opener.
Ekblad, 20, will carry a $7.5 million cap-hit in the 2017-18 season, which would make him the sixth highest paid defenseman as of now. The 6-foot-4, 216 lbs. blueliner has had two great years to kick off his NHL career—posting 39-points (12G / 27A) in 2014-15 and 36 points (15G / 21A) last season. Ekblad will be the cornerstone of the Panthers franchise through the 2024-25 season.
Ekblad has missed the last four games with a concussion he suffered on a hit from Matt Hendricks on January 10th. Ekblad is expected to play vs. the Blackhawks, but Willie Mitchell will not play due to an undisclosed injury. Ekblad has 19 points (9G / 10) and a plus-17 rating in 42 games this season.
