Aaron Ekblad was placed on long term injured reserve by the Florida Panthers on Wednesday with a lower-body injury. 
The defenseman left in the second period of a 5-3 loss at the Boston Bruins on Monday. He has one goal in three games this season and 292 points (98 goals, 194 assists) in 557 regular-season games since the Panthers chose him with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Ekblad has three seasons left on an eight-year contract he agreed to July 2, 2016. He became Florida’s points leader among defenseman when he passed Robert Svehla with three assists in a 5-3 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on March 17. The 2015 Calder Trophy winner voted as the NHL rookie of the year had surgery to repair a fracture in his lower extremities sustained against the Dallas Stars on March 28, 2021 that kept out the rest of the season and Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Anthony Duclair remains on track to return in December or January from surgery on his Achilles, general manager Bill Zito said Tuesday. The forward had surgery in July after he had NHL career highs in goals (31) and points (58) in 74 games last season.
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