Florida Panthers get major reinforcements back ahead of Edmonton Oilers game

For the first time since the first week of the season, the Florida Panthers are finally back at full strength when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday at FLA Live Arena.

Star defenseman Aaron Ekblad? He’s going to be activated off long-term injured reserve after missing 11 games with a groin injury sustained against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 17.

All-Star winger Matthew Tkachuk? His two-game suspension for a high stick on Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick has been served, and he will be back in his spot on the Panthers’ top line.

And veteran forward Patric Hornqvist? He still needs to be cleared by Florida’s medical staff, but coach Paul Maurice expects him back in the lineup Saturday after missing three games following a high hit to the head against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 3.

Just how will these reinforcements impact the Panthers as they continue their five-game homestand? Let’s take a look.

A defensive boost

Maurice was quick to admit Friday that he was “concerned” with how the Panthers would respond to an extended Ekblad absence. He was, after all, a contender for the Norris Trophy last season and is the top player at the position for the Panthers.

The team held its own, going 6-4-1 in 11 games without Ekblad in the lineup.

And the blue liners stepped up.

Brandon Montour took Ekblad’s spot on Florida’s top defensive pairing opposite Gustav Forsling. Montour’s average ice time in that stretch was 27:10, nearly seven minutes more than his career average (20:11). Forsling averaged 24:17 of ice time, more than five minutes more per game than his career average (19:10) and about three minutes more than his per-game average since joining the Panthers (21:09).

“They’ve stepped up big time,” Ekblad said. “Realistically, you’re just seeing who they really are. They’re fantastic players when they’re given the opportunity.”

With Ekblad back, Maurice will now be able to better spread out the defensemen’s ice time. Ekblad will return to his spot on the top power play unit and kill penalties.

But it looks like Maurice plans to stick with Forsling and Montour as a defensive pairing in 5-on-5 play, at least to start. Radko Gudas and Josh Mahura have played well, together, too.

That leaves Ekblad in the immediate future working with Marc Staal.

“A little protection,” Maurice said of Ekbald. “It’s his first game back after being out a month.”

An offensive boost

Offensively, the Panthers are getting their top player back in Tkachuk, who leads the team in points (17), assists (12), shots on goal (63), scoring chances (71) and high-danger chances (36). His five goals are second only to Carter Verhaeghe, who has eight.

Tkachuk had to sit out the Panthers’ past two games — wins over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday and Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday — after he poked Quick in the eye with a high stick with about 39 seconds remaining in regulation and Florida down a goal after Quick made a save on a Brandon Montour shot from the point.

According to the league, Tkachuk said “he was not intentionally aiming for Quick’s face in an attempt to injure him.” However, the league’s ruling still found that Tkachuk “was intentionally using the blade of his stick to hit an opponent in the head.”

“It’s just disappointing being out of the lineup,” Tkachuk said Friday. “I pride myself on playing as much each and every season, trying to play every game. I’ve evolved as a player each and every season. It was definitely a mistake on my end and something that I learned from. ... Don’t ever want to be in that situation again — not just for myself; it’s more for my team. I don’t want to put my team in a bad spot like I did, but they answered well and came up with two wins.”

Tkachuk’s return to the Panthers’ top line with Verhaeghe and center Aleksander Barkov gives the Panthers a legitimate scoring threat.

Florida’s other lines, as seen at practice on Friday: Sam Bennett centering Eetu Luostarinen and Colin White; Anton Lundell centering Ryan Lomberg and Sam Reinhart; and Eric Staal centering Nick Cousins and Hornqvist.

A roster crunch

Salary cap logistics of getting Ekblad back

The final move came Friday when the Panthers waived forward Rudolfs Balcers, who is making $800,000 this season.

The team on Thursday also sent forward Aleksi Heponiemi as well as defensemen Matt Kiersted and Lucas Carlsson back to AHL Charlotte.

Those moves together put Florida about $50,000 below the salary cap.

It also once again leaves them with an active roster of just 20 players: 12 forward, six defensemen and two goaltenders.

“We’re in a very unique situation,” Maurice said. “We like Balcers a lot and I’m hopeful that we don’t lose him because we are going to be nicked up again and we’re going to need players back, but we just can’t run 21 [players on the active roster].”