Panthers' Aaron Ekblad speaks out on his return following lengthy injury absence, suspension

The 2024-25 season has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Aaron Ekblad.

After a solid start to the year, the Florida Panthers' star defenseman was forced to miss eight games in January because of an upper-body injury. Ekblad then returned to the lineup for some time before learning the stunning news that he had been suspended 20 games for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

He came out in a statement shortly afterwards, saying he made a mistake by taking something to help him recover from his recent injury, which ultimately wound up getting flagged during a drug test.

Ekblad is not eligible to return until Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; however, he was allowed to rejoin the Panthers at practice this week. He spoke to the media for the first time since the suspension and shared how he's feeling physically and mentally. Reporter Jameson Olive shared his comments on X (formerly Twitter).

"It's obviously a ton of rest. My body hasn't felt this good since Game 1 of the season. It's almost like a mini training camp. It's the best I've felt in a while, for sure," Ekblad said.

Aaron Ekblad is a pending UFA in the final season of an eight-year, $60,000,000 contract extension signed with the Panthers back in 2016. General manager Bill Zito has reiterated his desire to re-sign Ekblad, though it's fair to wonder if that will be plausible after acquiring Seth Jones at the trade deadline.

Aaron Ekblad is a crucial piece to the puzzle for Florida

The Florida Panthers will be very happy to welcome Aaron Ekblad back into their lineup once he's served his suspension.

The 29-year-old is a staple on their blueline and was having a strong 2024-25 season, putting up 33 points (three goals, 30 assists) in 56 games prior to the ban. He was also playing 23:31 minutes per game, heavily relied upon by head coach Paul Maurice in all situations.

Florida's defense core of Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, and Niko Mikkola will create plenty of problems for opposing offenses around the league when the first overall pick from 2014 is back in the mix.

The Panthers will continue to finish out their regular season without Ekblad on Saturday night against the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drops at 6 p.m. EST at Amerant Bank Arena.