Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad is expected to be out of the lineup until Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Thursday.
The Panthers defenceman left Tuesday's game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury.
Ekblad and Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky skirmished at the end of the first period. The pair of skaters fell to the ice as they got tangled up, and Ekblad did not return to start the second period.
Ekblad, 28, has 18 points (four goals and 14 assists) in 50 games this season.
The Florida Panthers (47-23-5) have already clinched their spot in the post-season and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 99 points.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.