clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Panthers to place Aaron Ekblad on long-term injured reserve

Florida top defenseman sustained a lower-body injury in Monday’s game vs. the bruins.

Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers skates against the Boston Bruins during the second period at TD Garden on October 17, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The Florida Panthers are placing D Aaron Ekblad on long-term injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. Ekblad was forced to leave Monday’s loss to the Boston Bruins after playing just 15:10 of ice time. The Panthers did mention that the Ekblad injury isn’t season-ending and it’s closer to “short-term” than long.

This is a tough break for the Panthers early in the season. Florida is 2-1-0 but it’ll be tough operating without your top defenseman for any period of time. The Panthers lose their top-pairing defenseman and power-play quarterback. With Ekblad out, the Panthers are going with Marc Staal and Gustav Forsling on the top defense pairing. Florida is also giving a five-forward look on the first power play, which may not last.

Forsling is a very appealing fantasy hockey target on the waiver wire. He should continue to lead the Panthers defensive unit in ice time and is already off to a strong start with three points in three games with 10 shots on goal. Brandon Montour feels like the other defenseman who could step up and be more involved on offense.