Florida Panthers’ Star Aaron Ekblad Sidelines Early Playoffs Heartbreak as 20-Games Suspension Ends

“I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel,” said the Florida Panthers defenseman in early March. He made the statement after the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program handed him a “shocking” 20-game suspension for a failed test. Now the exodus is finally over.

Besides missing the final stretch of the NHL regular season, what truly pained the hockey defenseman was having to miss part of the playoffs too. Ekblad made no effort to hide just how upset it made him. “That’ll be the toughest two games, of course; that’s obvious,” the 29-year-old confessed ahead of the playoffs. Yet, could this setback somehow work in his favor?

Well, Aaron Ekblad’s coach certainly thinks so. Labeling what happened to the elite defenseman as a “very unusual situation,” Paul Maurice explained how staying away from the ice has actually helped the player. “Usually, a player that’s out for 20 games has significant injury, and that really affects their rehab,” said Coach Maurice. Yet, that hasn’t been the case with Ekblad.

“I would say that Aaron’s probably in the best shape of his life right now. We’ll put him right back with his partner,” the Florida Panthers coach said ahead of Game 3 as per NHL.com. And that partner is none other than Gustav Forsling. Last year, the Ekblad-Forsling duo proved to be a force to be reckoned with during the playoffs, leading with 41–29 goals (scored vs. conceded) when they were on the ice.

This story is developing…