Florida Panthers Defenseman Aaron Ekblad to Return from Injury

FORT LAUDERDALE — Aaron Ekblad will return to the Florida Panthers lineup on Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators after missing Saturday’s 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning with an injury.

Ekblad only missed that one game after being listed as ‘day-to-day’ with a lower-body injury on Saturday morning.

Josh Mahura will be scratched to make room for his return.

Dmitry Kulikov will be good to go for the Panthers after leaving Monday’s practice early with an apparent injury.

“He’s good,” coach Paul Maurice said.

Ekblad has three goals and 14 points in 37 games and had not missed any time with injury since returning from a shoulder injury sustained in the Stanley Cup Final before Saturday.

While his offensive numbers are not where they were earlier in his career, he has been having the best season of his career on the defensive end.

“I did it because that was what the game decided I needed to do,” Ekblad told