4 years agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will miss his first game of the season on Tuesday against Detroit, and he won't feature again during the regular season after undergoing surgery for a fractured left leg. The 24-year-old blueliner left Sunday's 4-1 win over Dallas on a stretcher and went under the knife on Monday. Ekblad finishes the season with 22 points in 35 games. He is set to miss 12 weeks, so the Panthers will hope to get their No. 1 d-man back during the playoffs. Gustav Forsling, who is a decent puck-mover with offensive instincts, will move up to the first defensive pairing for Tuesday's game. The Panthers also remain without Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Patric Hornqvist (undisclosed).--Taavi Pailk - RotoBaller
Source: NHL.com