Aaron Ekblad was activated off of injured reserve by the Florida Panthers on Friday, Katie Engleson of the Panthers website reports.
Panthers placed Rudolfs Balcers on waivers to activate Aaron Ekblad from LTIR, per HC Paul Maurice.
— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) November 11, 2022
Ekblad had been out of the lineup since Oct.17 due to a lower-body injury but is expected to play Saturday versus the Edmonton Oilers. Ekblad will be a welcome addition to the Panthers’ blue line. He is their best defender and one of the best in the league.
When healthy, Ekblad is an extremely valuable defenseman. The problem is his best ability is not always availability. Ekblad hasn’t played more than 67 games in a season since 2018. The Panthers need Ekblad in the lineup and at full strength if they want to reach their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.
The Panthers are +136 (-1.5) on the puck line, and -176 on the money line, with an over/under of seven, over (-104), and under (-130) versus the Oilers on Saturday. You can find the lines and props for this game and all others on FanDuel Sportsbook.
