The Florida Panthers should do with out star defenseman Aaron Ekblad on account of a shoulder damage, at the least firstly of the coaching camp.
Ekblad mentioned on Thursday he must go beneath the knife.
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Even within the final playoffs, the 27-year-old guard was not spared from accidents. The Windsor, Ontario native suffered a damaged foot in sport two of the primary spherical collection in opposition to the Boston Bruins. He additionally injured his shoulder taking part in in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes within the Japanese Convention Finals.
“It wasn’t straightforward, nevertheless it was value it and it was enjoyable,” mentioned Ekblad on the season assessment. You get used to the ache and it will get simpler. For the primary three weeks the foot was laborious and damage extra off the rink than on the ice.
These accidents severely hampered his efficiency. On offense, he had eight factors, two objectives and 6 assists in 20 playoff video games.
“It’s been a troublesome 12 months for me with accidents – clearly I’ve had worse – however there wasn’t something that wasn’t manageable. They have been previous wounds that all of us battle with,” he famous.
The Panthers’ first choose in 2014, nonetheless, hit the 10-goal plateau within the common season for the eighth time in his profession. The 1.85 meter tall athlete completed the season with a complete of 38 factors, together with 14 objectives and 24 assists, in 71 video games.