Panthers forward Tomas Nosek speaks after a team practice in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 20. The Florida Panthers found themselves in a familiar place on Monday. An airplane. Florida is hitting the road for a week long, four-game road trip that begins on Tuesday night in Southern California with a back-to-back set against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] They boarded their long, cross-country flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday afternoon, but not before holding a final practice at their home facility in Fort Lauderdale. While the Cats are reasonably healthy in terms of both injuries and illness, there is one key player who has been notably absent from recent games and practices. There is hope that the Panthers will get defenseman Aaron Ekblad back in the lineup at some point while they're out west. Ekblad has been battling an undisclosed injury and missed each of Florida's past five games. He's been seen on the ice in recent days and appears to be nearing a return. "He skated this morning and was better, so we're pretty excited about that," said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. While conveying optimism, Maurice wouldn't go so far as to give a specific timeline for Ekblad. "He comes in when he comes in," he said. "The idea would be this road trip, that's what we think is going to happen." The veteran defenseman has been enjoying an excellent season under Maurice, both as a shutdown defenseman and a contributing offensive threat. Considering last season, Maurice asked the traditionally offensive-defenseman to take a much more defense-first approach, and he did so without flinching despite what it would mean to his scoring numbers. Now, Ekblad is rounding his game back out, continuing to provide high-end, shutdown defense while finding ways to contribute on the offensive side of things. The results have spoken for themselves. Last season, Ekblad finished with four goals and 18 points in 51 games after starting the season late due to summer shoulder surgery. This year, Ekblad has played in 41 games and he's already surpassed last season's point total, having racked up 20 points and a pair of goals. The more time he gets on the ice, the better it will be toward Ekblad's continued pursuit of rounding out his game and remaining one of the top blueliners in the league. Hopefully he'll resume that journey sooner rather than later. "We'll see how he is tomorrow," Maurice said. "He had a better day today than he thought he was going to, and we don't think we're that far off. We're still not sure about tomorrow though." LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers sing praises of Spencer Knight following goaltender’s shutout win [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/panthers-sing-praises-of-spencer-knight-following-goaltenders-shutout-win] Three takeaways: Penalty kill steps up without Sam Reinhart, momentum building in Spencer Knight [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-penalty-kill-steps-up-without-sam-reinhart-momentum-building-in-spencer-knight] Good Knight in Sunrise as Panthers shutout Anaheim 3-0 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/good-knight-in-sunrise-as-panthers-shutout-anaheim-3-0] Ducks in town as Panthers aim to end homestand on high note [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/ducks-in-town-as-panthers-aim-to-end-homestand-on-high-note] The Hockey Show: Tight playoff race out East, how Matthew Tkachuk is officiated [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-tight-playoff-race-out-east-how-matthew-tkachuk-is-officiated] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
