Florida will be without Aaron Ekblad on Sunday night, with the Panthers defenseman sidelined against the Anaheim Ducks because of an undisclosed injury.
Ekblad has opened the season with one assist in two games and has logged 20:55 of ice time per night. The absence comes as Gustav Forsling is set to rejoin the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
Ekblad’s track record remains a big part of Florida’s blue line. In 13 NHL seasons, the 30-year-old has piled up 122 goals and 285 assists for 407 points across 806 regular-season games, averaging 22:51 of ice time. In 83 playoff games, the Windsor, Ont., native has added eight goals and 25 assists for 33 points while averaging 23:44.
He was also part of the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025.
The lineup news doesn’t stop there. Earlier Sunday, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed that Brad Marchand will make his 2026-27 season debut. Marchand is coming off his first full season with Florida, one in which he posted 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 points in 62 games.
Florida enters the night at 1-0-1 with three points after two games. The Panthers opened the season with a 1-0 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes before dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to the Sharks.
Last season, Florida finished 40-38-4 with 84 points, placing seventh in the division and 15 points out of a Wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.
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