Florida defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson speaks to the media following the Panthers 2-1 win in Anaheim on Nov. 17. The Florida Panthers returned home from a week in California on Saturday after picking up a pair of wins in San Jose and Anaheim. Now 17 games into the season, Florida hold a 11-5-1 record which is good for 23 points and second place in the Atlantic Division. That’s particularly impressive when taking into account that the Panthers have played without three key players for almost the entirety of their schedule. Center Sam Bennett played his first full game of the season last week while defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour made their 2023-24 debuts during Friday’s win over the Ducks. Both blueliners were returning from offseason shoulder surgery, so it was expected that they would be missing some time. As such, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito and his front office signed several free agent defensemen to not only fill the void, but ultimately compliment what Florida has been building over the past two seasons. One of those summer additions was veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] During his career, Ekman-Larsson has been one of the top offensive-defensemen in the league. He spent a decade with the Coyotes franchise, pacing the team’s blueline in scoring while gobbling up top pairing minutes year after year. Ekman-Larsson’s tenure in Arizona ended abruptly during the summer of 2021 when he was part of a blockbuster traded with the Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately for OEL, his time in the pacific northwest did not go particularly well thanks in large part to a pair of foot injuries that hindered his ability to properly train and prepare during the offseason. Now fully healed, healthy and with a full offseason of training under his belt, the 32-year-old is enjoying a resurgent season with the Panthers after being bought out by the Canucks and signing a one-year, $2.25 million deal in Florida. Through 17 games with the Cats, Ekman-Larsson has already contributed 5 goals and 11 points. Two of OEL’s five goals have been game winners, and five of his 11 points have come on the power play. When looking into the advanced metrics, Ekman-Larsson’s possession numbers are right up to par with his offensive production. At 5-on-5, the Panthers are +29 in scoring chances for/against when Ekman-Larsson is on the ice and +15 when looking at high danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. The 14-year NHL veteran has been elite as a power play quarterback throughout his career and he’s filled that role nicely for Florida, but his status on PP1 will be something to monitor in the coming days and weeks. The Panthers have been extremely inconsistent while on the man advantage, generating plenty of zone time and high-end opportunities, but finding it hard to finish plays put the puck in the net. With the return of injured defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, a pair of elite rearguards who have each run Florida’s top power play in recent years, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see the Panthers make a move and try to jumpstart the unit. To his credit, Ekman-Larsson seems to have a strong understanding of the situation and is ready to contribute in whatever role he’s asked to step into. “I played against those two guys and I know that they're unbelievable hockey players, so it’s nice to be on the same side,” Ekman-Larsson said of Montour and Ekblad. “They're so good. They move the puck well and skate so well, making it easy on everybody else out there, so it's nice to have them back.” Friday in Anaheim – the first game of the season for the aforementioned Ekblad and Montour – Ekman-Larsson remained the lone defenseman on PP1 while Florida deployed Montour and Ekblad as a pairing on PP2. Last season, the Panthers top power play featured Ekblad and Montour, with Ekblad acting as a flanker and Montour working the point. Florida’s second unit generally only used one defenseman, and for the most part it was Gus Forsling who was called upon. Now, with a fully stocked defensive cupboard, It will be interesting to see how Florida’s blueliners are utilized moving forward. As long as the Panthers stay healthy, they could very well end up with one of the deepest blue lines in the NHL. It will then fall on the shoulders of the coaching staff to find the most efficient and effective combinations. 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