George Richards, FHN Publisher
From now until the start of training camp on Sept. 22, Florida Hockey Now will profile players who will play a key role for the 2022-23 Florida Panthers.
Today’s Player: Aaron Ekblad
What Happened Last Year: Ekblad, 26, has missed the end of the past two seasons due to leg injuries sustained in games.
In 2021, he was hurt in a game at Dallas that cost him the remainder of the regular season and Florida’s first-round playoff series against the Lightning.
Last season, Ekblad was hurt in Anaheim just before the trade deadline.
It was not a serious injury but one which cost him a few weeks off the ice. Florida was able to put him on LTIR to create cap space — with Ekblad coming back for Game 1 against the Capitals.
Ekblad came to camp last year in great shape and continued to raise his game to a new level.
In 2021, Ekblad was a contender for the Norris Trophy before getting hurt; he was in the running for the Norris last season as well as he set a career-high with 57 points and came within a goal (15) of tying his career high despite missing the final 21 games of the season.
What to Look For at Camp: Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar became a pretty formidable duo the past two seasons but with Weegar traded to Calgary, the Panthers are going to have to find Ekblad a new partner to play with.
Ekblad has played with a number of different defensive partners over his eight seasons in Florida but he and Weegar enjoyed the most success together.
It looks like Gus Forsling would be a natural fit with Ekblad and it is thought the two will open up together.
Questions To Be Answered This Season: How does Ekblad react to playing with a new defensive partner may be the biggest question of camp.
The thought here is there will not be much of a drop — if any at all.
Ekblad is an elite NHL defenseman who has risen through the league ranks and Forsling is an extremely responsible player who has his own special set of skills. We think these two are going to flourish together.
Another question is where new coach Paul Maurice places Ekblad on the power play. Last year was his first running the top unit to mixed success. A new scheme could help as well.
Ekblad could also be held off the power play — perhaps Forsling or Brandon Montour gets a shot — to minimize his wear-and-tear.
In Their Words: ”It was obviously a long summer,” Ekblad said when reporting to camp last year. “I was able to be back on the ice 12 weeks after the injury and then I had two months of hard skating — maybe more actually — before I played a game.
“That was huge for me, and I needed it. It has made it so I have been able to get to a certain level that I am used to.”
Overall Outlook: It will definitely be interesting to see how Ekblad and his new defensive partner (Forsling) work together although it should be a seamless transition.
Ekblad has evolved into an elite NHL defenseman the past two seasons and should continue that progression.
FHN COUNTDOWN TO CAMP
Upcoming: Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Gus Forsling, Spencer Knight, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell