With the Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner, one of Florida Panthers' key blueliners left injured.
Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left Saturday's game against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury, the team announced. He saw just 3:04 of ice time before being forced to exit the game.
Thankfully, after the game, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice told reporters that they "fully expect (Ekman-Larsson) to be ready for (Game 1)." Maurice said that he probably could've finished the game if there was anything at stake for the Panthers.
After a down year with the Vancouver Canucks last season, Ekman-Larsson, 32, has played well for Florida in 2023-24. He has recorded nine goals and 23 assists in 79 games.
The Panthers sit second in the Atlantic Division, and will most likely host the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It would be a rematch of last year's second-round series where the Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs in five games.
