Lots of talk and excitement around 1st overall pick, Aaron Ekblad, signing his Entry Level Contract with the Florida Panthers. This is definitely a big announcement, especially with prospect camp looming on September 12th.
While most people consider Ekblad to be on the opening night roster, some still question whether he is ready for the big show just yet. He says he is 100% recovered from a concussion he sustained during a world junior championship exhibition game against the Czech Republic.
He was widely criticized for the play, and I must admit it is worthy criticism. He had his head down crossing the blue line. Hockey 101. It is expected those types of nuances and fundamentals will be harped on in a large way during this entire month of September as he prepares for his NHL career. Big boys of the NHL love to punish unaware players. Ask Eric Lindros.
As far as defensive pairings are concerned, there is an interesting group to mix and match. On face value, it looks like Campbell-Kulikov, Mitchell-Ekblad, Gubranson-Olsen make the most sense.
BUT... Ekblad and Gudbranson are the only two right handed shots on the blue line, so it will be interesting to see if that has an effect on special teams or general pairings.
After the last two seasons the defense needs to improve in major ways if this team has any chance at the playoffs. Adding a potential stud in Ekblad looks good for the future, and trading for Roberto Luongo last year provides more stability between the pipes.
However if Kulikov, Gudbranson, and Olsen have already peaked and this is all that they are, the Panthers are still 2-3 years away from being a playoff team consistently. Luongo can only do so much to keep this team in the game with no support in front of him.
Here's hoping Gerard Gallant and staff can reshape the defensive into something formidable.
What do you think about the defensive pairings listed here? Would you move them around a bit?
As always, your input is appreciated, and thanks for reading.
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