Panthers get key injury updates on Aaron Ekblad, Evan Rodrigues

The Florida Panthers came away with a bounce-back win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday but the team took blows to their roster during the outing. Forward Evan Rodrigues and defenseman Aaron Ekblad both had to leave the ice after suffering lower-body injuries. Eklblad had a collision with teammate Vladimir Tarasenko late in the first period while Rodrigues blocked a slap shot with his ankle in the second period.

Now, a recent update points to a possible return for Rodrigues and some time missed for Ekblad. Rodrigues is currently a game-time decision and could play on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. Ekblad, on the other hand, will be out for two weeks before being labeled as day-to-day. (per Bally Sports Florida’s Steve Goldstein)

“We’re going to wait until he is 100 percent,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said, in reference to the defenseman. “I expect him back at the end of March, early April.” (per NHL correspondent George Richards)

Both players have been essential to the Panthers’ dominant season so far. Evan Rodrigues has appeared in 65 games, tallying 10 goals, 26 assists and 36 points while Aaron Ekblad saw action 47 times with totals of 4 goals, 13 assists and 17 points, to go with a 26 plus-minus rating.

The Panthers sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 44-17-4 record. Led by Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart, the team is one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year. With 18 more regular-season games remaining, the Panthers look to continue their consistent run and fully secure the top seed heading into the playoffs.