Aaron Ekblad injured again for the Panthers; could persistent health issues jeopardize his career?

Brandon Montour left the game with an upper-body injury. After the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that Montour's injury was considered not serious.

As for Ekblad, the Panthers were already down to five defenders when Ekblad suffered yet another lower-body injury. The former 1st overall pick has been plagued with injuries the last few seasons, missing significant time in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.

The potential implications on the overall standings in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference are not insignificant. The Panthers were the Presidents Trophy winner last season. Injuries to a pair of key defenders may make this a challenging year for the Cats.

For Ekblad, individually, this will mark the third consecutive season where he's dealt with a lower-body issue. Should he miss another lengthy stint this season, he'll have dealt with more injury issues than most face in an entire career at just 26 years-of-age (27 in February). At this point, there is no timetable for Ekblad's return, per Panthers head coach Paul Maurice.