For going on three seasons now, the Florida Panthers’ Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad have consistently been one of the NHL’s top defense pairings. But getting to that consistently high level was a result of evolution by both players.

The Florida Panthers are set to bolster their blue line with the return of defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has missed the past seven games due to an upper-body injury.

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.

There is hope that the Panthers will get defenseman Aaron Ekblad back in the lineup at some point while they're out west. Ekblad has been battling an undisclosed injury and missed each of Florida's past five games.

The Florida Panthers could have defenseman Aaron Ekblad back in the lineup tonight against the San Jose Sharks, coach Paul Maurice said. Ekblad has missed eight games, including the past seven, after blocking a shot against the Penguins in the first period on Jan.

After missing each of the last seven games, top-pair defenseman Aaron Ekblad will return to the blue line for the Florida Panthers when they face-off against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday.

Adin Hill made 32 saves, Tanner Pearson had his first game-winning goal of the season and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Sunday night.

It never hurts to head into Las Vegas feeling good about yourself, something the Florida Panthers did after a pitstop in San Jose. The thing about Vegas is, no matter how good you feel coming off the plane,

Call it a mixed bag for the Florida Panthers on their West Coast trip. The Panthers went 2-2-0 in their four games out west, beating the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Tuesday, falling to the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Wednesday, winning against the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Saturday and losing to the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 on Sunday.

LAS VEGAS – The Florida Panthers finished their four-game road trip with an even split following a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. Sitting at 29-19-3, the Panthers went 2-2-0 on their trip out west.

Mission accomplished, as they not only earned a win Sunday night, but they opened a three-game homestand with a strong showing against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in a 4-1 win.