The Florida Panthers’ star defenseman Aaron Ekblad is dealing with a groin injury and faces a long spell on the sidelines. According to the team’s announcement on Wednesday, Ekblad was placed on the long-term injured reserve list, which means that he is automatically out for 24 days and must miss at least 10 games.
Ekblad was hurt during the Panthers’ 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday night.
The team’s general manager Bill Zito confirmed the news while talking to reporters on Wednesday and said that he expects Ekblad to return to 100 percent at some point this season.
“We’re not happy about it, and obviously, we’re concerned for him as a person first,” said Zito. “But he’ll be back. It’s not a season-ending thing. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be back at anything other than 100%.”
While Ekblad’s absence will certainly hurt the Panthers, this isn’t a new experience for the team. He missed 21 games in each of the previous two seasons due to injuries, and Florida managed to get largely unscathed both times.
Aaron Ekblad was the Panthers’ first overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season and has since made 554 appearances in the league. The 26-year-old player has scored 97 goals and dished 194 assists for 291 points during his NHL career and has two All-Star appearances on his resume.
