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Aaron Ekblad

Rudolfs Balcers To Be Placed On Waivers

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The Florida Panthers moved several players to the minor leagues yesterday to prepare for the return of Aaron Ekblad but they still needed a little bit more cap space to get their star defenseman off long-term injured reserve. Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Kate Engleson of Bally Sports that it will be Rudolfs Balcers hitting waivers today to make room.

Balcers, 25, got off to a quick start with the Panthers this year but has seen his ice time limited in recent weeks and has just one point in his last nine games. The Latvian forward cleared waivers just a few months ago with the San Jose Sharks and is on a one-year, one-way contract worth $750K.

Interestingly, as CapFriendly points out, while waiving Balcers with the intention of assigning him to the minor leagues will clear enough cap space for Ekblad – it only just makes it. The team would be at the minimum of 18 skaters on the roster and would have no room to call up anyone else. That can result in some very tricky situations if players suffer injuries that do not require injured reserve. In that case, the Panthers would need to make some additional moves or play shorthanded.

Staying pressed right up against the cap ceiling could have some serious financial ramifications for the Panthers in other ways, too. Both Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight have significant performance bonuses in their entry-level contracts that would be carried over to next season if the team does not have the cap space to fit them in this year. The pair could earn as much as $2.7MM combined, though they would have to hit specific metrics for that to happen. The team is currently dealing with an overage of $637.5K from this mechanism last season.

So while activating Ekblad is certainly going to help the team on the ice, the cap situation in Florida continues to be a difficult puzzle to navigate for general manager Bill Zito.

Florida Panthers Send Three Players To AHL

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As they prepare their cap for the impending return of Aaron Ekblad, the Florida Panthers have sent three players to the minor leagues. Lucas Carlsson, Aleksi Heponiemi, and Matt Kiersted have all been sent to the Charlotte Checkers.

Ekblad was injured in the middle of October and has played just three games this season. He is eligible to return on Saturday after missing the requisite LTIR time, and head coach Paul Maurice is expecting him in the lineup.

Patric Hornqvist is also expected back in the coming days, though he was never placed on injured reserve in the first place. To make room for Ekblad, the team still needs to clear a bit more salary, likely meaning someone else will be going down when he’s activated. For now, the team has to keep at least 20 players on the roster.

It’s huge news for the Panthers, especially given how strong Ekblad was last season. The veteran defenseman set a new career high with 57 points in 61 games and finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting. Florida has been okay without him but still sit at 8-5-1 on the year, not exactly the start they wanted after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22.

Ekblad’s return will go a long way to getting them back to being an elite team in the league, even if it does cost them some NHL depth to fit his salary in.

Snapshots: Ekblad, Broberg, Janmark, Dach

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At the time that the Panthers placed Aaron Ekblad on LTIR, there was no timetable for his return beyond that it was expected that he’d be back this season.  In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that the blueliner is likely to miss somewhere between four and seven weeks.  At a minimum, he has to miss 10 games and 24 days and if he’s ready to be back at the shorter end of that timeline, Ekblad might not miss much more than the minimum time.  Florida isn’t expected to go out and acquire a short-term replacement as they’ll need to have enough cap space to activate Ekblad when he’s ready to return but fortunately for them, they shouldn’t be without their star blueliner for too long.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • At the beginning of the season, the Oilers were shuffling defenseman Philip Broberg back and forth between Edmonton and AHL Bakersfield. They haven’t lately and Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) why as the blueliner has been dealing with an upper-body injury for the last few days and is questionable to play this weekend.  Accordingly, it’ll take a little longer before he gets his next chance with the big club.  Meanwhile, Nugent-Bowman adds that the reason that veteran winger Mattias Janmark hasn’t played in Bakersfield yet despite being sent down nearly two weeks ago is that he has yet to receive his U.S. work permit.
  • Blackhawks prospect Colton Dach has been placed in concussion protocol, notes Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). It’s the second time in a month that he has been moved there after entering protocol in mid-September.  The 19-year-old had gotten off to a good start with WHL Kelowna with three points in as many games but now, it’s likely he’ll be shut down for a little while.  Dach has already signed his entry-level deal with Chicago and will likely turn pro next season.

Florida Panthers Move Ekblad To LTIR; Recall Two Defensemen

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The Florida Panthers are hurting, with Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour both leaving the game a few days ago. While Montour is back at morning skate today, he won’t play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. In their place, Lucas Carlsson and Matt Kiersted have both been brought up from the AHL, with the latter only activated from season-opening injured reserve yesterday.

Interestingly enough, Eric Staal is also out with the main group, according to team reporter Jameson Olive, as he continues to skate on a PTO.

Ekblad has been moved to long-term injured reserve, a necessity given how little cap space the team had been dealing with. His timeline is still undetermined.

It is an unfortunate result for the Panthers’ top defenseman, who is coming off the best season of his career. Ekblad was sixth in Norris Trophy voting in 2021-22 after scoring 15 goals and 57 points in 61 games. That games played number is the important one here though, as it’s now been a few years since he was able to put together a full healthy season.

Going on LTIR means missing at least ten games or 24 days – not ideal as the team tries to find its new identity without Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. In his first two games, Ekblad had averaged nearly 25 minutes a night and was likely set to see that much action for the entire season. Without him in the lineup, the team will have to find another way to fill up that ice time.

East Notes: Backstrom, Panthers, Johansson, Nedeljkovic

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Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom missed the first two months of the season with a hip injury and while he played the rest of the way, he wasn’t fully healthy.  Speaking to reporters at today’s end-of-season press conference, the veteran told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, that his injured hip will never fully recover while GM Brian MacLellan indicated that Backstrom continuing to play through the injury in its current form will not be sustainable moving forward.  As a result, MacLellan indicated that the 34-year-old will be exploring his options.  The uncertainty surrounding Backstrom’s availability will make Washington’s offseason planning that much more difficult as a result.

Other news from the Eastern Conference:

  • Panthers winger Mason Marchment is unlikely to be available for the start of their series-opener against Tampa Bay, relays David Wilson of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old had a career year as a secondary scorer, notching 18 goals and 29 assists in just 54 games while also averaging two hits per game which made him a key part of Florida’s bottom six.  He missed the last two games with an unspecified injury and there’s no word on how much longer he might be out.  Meanwhile, interim head coach Andrew Brunette indicated that defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Ben Chiarot will be ready to start the season after being banged up in the final game of the Washington series.
  • After playing on loan in the SHL this season, Red Wings prospect Albert Johansson confirmed to Expressen in Sweden that he will play in North America next season. The 21-year-old defenseman had 25 points in 52 games this season with Farjestad while chipping in with eight points in 19 playoff contests as he won the SHL title.  Johansson also indicated that he won’t ask to be loaned back home if he doesn’t crack Detroit’s roster after training camp in the fall.
  • Still with Detroit, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is out for the remainder of the World Championship due to an injury, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link). He was named to the team earlier this month but had yet to be registered by Team USA, a decision that certainly was the right one now.  As he wasn’t officially registered to the team, they will be able to find a replacement.  Devils goalie Jon Gillies and Sharks prospect Strauss Mann are the other netminders on the roster so far.

Aaron Ekblad To Return For Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers kick off their first-round series against the Washington Capitals this evening, and it’s nothing but good news at the morning skate. Head coach Andrew Brunette confirmed to reporters including Katie Gaus of BALLY Sports that Aaron Ekblad will make his long-awaited return to the lineup tonight. Mason Marchment will also be in the lineup after missing the last game of the regular season.

Ekblad, 26, may very well have been in the conversation for the Norris Trophy had he played the entire season. The 2014 first-overall pick put together the best offensive year of his career, scoring 15 goals and 57 points in just 61 games. Those numbers came in nearly 25 minutes a night, as he looked completely recovered from the head and neck injuries that had really hampered his career in years past.

Unfortunately, on his first shift of a game against the Anaheim Ducks in mid-March, Ekblad collided with teammate Aleksander Barkov and was forced to leave with a lower-body injury. He did not return, meaning his chase of 20 goals and a point-per-game season will have to wait.

Now, after more than a month on the shelf, he’ll return just in time for the Panthers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Ekblad, Ovechkin, Maple Leafs

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Most people have forgotten that despite the Florida Panthers’ torrid pace over the past few months, defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been rehabbing a lower-body injury for about the past six weeks. Team head coach Andrew Brunette said today that Ekblad was a full participant in today’s practice and that the team remains hopeful he returns at some point during the First Round series against the Washington Capitals. There’s even a possibility Ekblad is ready to go for Game 1 on Tuesday night if all goes smoothly for him.

It’s likely just adding insult to injury at this point for Washington, who’ll now have to face the Presidents’ Trophy winner and the hottest team in the East with another added All-Star component in the lineup. Ekblad was playing nearly 25 minutes per game prior to his injury, notching 57 points in 61 games, which still has him at ninth in the NHL among defensemen despite the injury. He’ll slide right back into a nightmare top pairing for opponents with MacKenzie Weegar, who’s flourished in the no. 1 defenseman role since Ekblad’s injury.

  • Alex Ovechkin was a full participant at Capitals practice today, and AP’s Stephen Whyno reports it’s looking like he’ll dress for Game 1 against the Panthers. This is obviously an indescribable boost to Washington’s chances in this series, as they’ll need everyone firing on all cylinders in order to pull off one of the largest possible upsets in these playoffs. His 50 goals leads the time by a wide margin, and it looks like he’ll get a chance to add to his 71 career playoff goals and 135 career playoff points.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs got some mixed injury news at practice today. Ondrej Kase, who hasn’t played in six weeks, was a full participant in practice today and it appears he’ll be in the lineup for Game 1 tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, while Michael Bunting practiced for the first time since sustaining an injury against Tampa last week, he wasn’t a full participant and left practice halfway through. He’s extremely doubtful for Game 1.

Snapshots: Ekblad, Sharks, Valimaki

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While he may not be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, things are still looking positive regarding the health of Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Head coach Andrew Brunette said today that Ekblad remains week-to-week, but he has started skating and should return sometime in early May. That makes it seem likely that Ekblad will at least make an appearance during Florida’s First Round series, which will likely be against the Washington Capitals. It will be the second season in a row where Florida starts the playoffs without their star defenseman due to a lower-body injury, but this time around, it seems he’ll be ready to step in shortly after. Ekblad will have finished his regular season with 15 goals and 42 assists for 57 points in just 61 games, which is still currently eighth among all NHL defensemen.

More from around the NHL today:

  • While San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson had been on a medical leave of absence since November, his departure announcement from the organization today still came as a shock. Long-time assistant GM Joe Will has taken duties since then, and he’ll remain in the interim position, but team president Jonathan Becher said today that the Sharks will hope to have a new GM by the beginning of next year. With that, it’s entirely possible that the Sharks head into a draft and free agency period with Will still at the helm of the club. That may not be an entirely bad thing, considering his familiarity with Becher and the club, but it takes away the chance for his successor to craft their roster ahead of next season.
  • After being sent down early in the year and falling out of favor with head coach Darryl Sutter, the Calgary Flames have brought top defense prospect Juuso Valimaki back up to the big club from the AHL’s Stockton Heat. Valimaki played in 49 of the team’s 56 games last season, recording 11 points and never touching AHL ice. But after just two assists in eight games this season in limited minutes, the team opted to send Valimaki back down to the minors, where he had 17 points in 30 games. The team has no injuries on defense, so it’s a clear sign that the organization wants to see what effect his AHL stint this year had on him and whether he can be relied upon to play minutes for the team in the playoffs if injuries strike.

Florida Panthers To Acquire Robert Hagg

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A day after acquiring Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers, the Florida Panthers are acquiring a former Flyer in that of defenseman Robert Hagg from the Buffalo Sabres, reports Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff.  The pick is expected to be a sixth-round selection in 2022, reports The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. That pick was originally the Calgary Flames’ selection, but was traded to Florida last year along with Sam Bennett.

Hagg is currently in the final year of a two-year deal, carrying a $1.6MM cap hit. As Seravalli also adds, the Panthers are expected to place defenseman Aaron Ekblad on LTIR, which will make Hagg’s cap-hit no issue for the Panthers. Per Seravalli, Ekblad is expected back in time for the first round of the playoffs.

The now 27-year old Hagg was once one of the Flyers’ top prospects and has gone on to be a steady defenseman in the NHL. He was traded by the Flyers to the Sabres last summer in the Rasmus Ristolainen trade. This year, Hagg has eight points in 48 games, averaging 17:01 time on ice for the rebuilding Sabres and will now join his former teammate Giroux as additional depth in the wake of Aaron Ekblad’s injury.

East Notes: Ekblad, Domi, Hagg

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Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left Friday’s game early due to a lower-body injury but interim head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters, including David Wilson of the Miami Herald, that the injury isn’t as bad as it first appeared, indicating that there was no structural damage.  While there’s no timetable yet for his return, Brunette is “very hopeful” that his star blueliner won’t be out for long.  Ekblad suffered a serious ankle injury late last season that took him out for the playoffs which dealt a serious blow to their postseason hopes.  Although it appears he’ll miss some time, Ekblad has avoided a similar fate this time around.

Other news and notes from the East:

  • There haven’t been any recent discussions between the Blue Jackets and Max Domi regarding a contract extension, notes David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has 32 points in 52 games this season and the fact he can play on the wing and down the middle should be of interest to playoff-bound teams.  What won’t be something many of those contenders have interest in, however, is his contract, as his $5.3MM cap hit is one that will be difficult for them to afford.  Regardless, Columbus should be able to find a trade taker for him by Monday.
  • The Penguins have shown interest in Sabres defenseman Robert Hagg, reports Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription link). Cap space will be an issue for Pittsburgh with all of their current space coming from Jason Zucker who’s on LTIR but will return next month but if Buffalo is able to retain half of Hagg’s $1.6MM AAV, his cap hit would be just above the league minimum which is something they should be able to afford.

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