SAN JOSE – This was a sight for sore eyes.
Taking an important step toward an eventual return to the lineup, top-pair defenseman Aaron Ekblad rejoined the Florida Panthers for their practice on Friday at SAP Center.
On Saturday, the Panthers will kick off a back-to-back with a battle against the Sharks.
“There’s a chance he plays tomorrow,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
Sidelined eight of the last nine games – including each of the last seven – with an upper-body injury, Ekblad has been skating the past few weeks.
In his return, No. 5 was skating in his usual spot alongside Gustav Forsling.
“He skated hard and he prepped hard,” Maurice said of Ekblad’s rehab.
A crucial piece on the blue line, Ekblad, despite missing time due to his injury, still leads Florida’s defensemen in both assists (18) and points (20). He also ranks third in hits (59) and blocked shots (56), while averaging a team-leading 23:32 of ice time per contest.
Prior to his injury, Ekblad was also on the top power play and penalty killing units.
“He touches all three phases of our game -- important minutes,” Maurice said of Ekblad’s impact. “We’ve missed him. We kind of had (Niko) Mikkola out at the start of January, and then he was out. We’ve missed a big man on our blue line clearing the net front.”
The next update on Ekblad’s potential return will come following Saturday’s morning skate.
Stay tuned.