SUNRISE, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is fully aware that the Florida Panthers will be dealing with a new issue this season, that being the burden of preseason expectations.
He’s not bothered.
The Panthers reached the playoffs and won the Atlantic Division last season, two major steps for a franchise that has known almost nothing but struggle since reaching the Stanley Cup final for the first and only time in 1996. And with a young core of talent now basically locked up for years — the 20-year-old Ekblad is under contract through 2025 — anything less than a playoff run next spring would be a disappointment for Florida.