Ekblad could be shut down for the World Cup after sustaining a concussion, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Given the uncertainty surrounding concussions and recovery time, it should come as no surprise that the Panthers want to shut Ekblad down immediately. Team North America face Team Sweden on Wednesday, so it seems unlikely the blueliner is cleared in time for that contest. Ekblad, who snagged 15 goals and 21 helpers during his sophomore season, will more than likely continue to improve and could approach the 50-point mark in 2016-17, meaning fantasy owners will likely side with Florida in asking for him to be shut down immediately.

Ekblad is sitting out Monday's matchup against Team Russia with an upper-body injury, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Other than listing it as an upper-body injury, the nature and severity of Ekblad's injury remain unclear. We should see his status updated again in the next few days, but look for Jacob Trouba to take his place in Monday's outing versus Russia in the meantime.

Ekblad signed an eight-year, $60 million contract extension with the Panthers on Friday, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports, adding that the deal includes signing bonuses.

EDGE Analysis

That figure reportedly goes down as a franchise-high. The Black Cats should be on the prowl thanks to a retooled defense that includes newly signed Mark Pysyk and Keith Yandle. Ekblad and Yandle each received long-term contracts with Florida this summer, and it's believed those power-play weapons will make up the top defensive pairing once the 2016-17 season gets underway. One can expect Ekblad's scoring to rise due to Yandle's tremendous instincts and passing skills from the point -- given that Ekblad has 75 career regular-season points (27 goals, 48 assists), it's easy to forget that he's 20 years old and just two years deep into his NHL career. The 2015 Calder Trophy winner is bound to fly off draft boards, so act fast when that time comes.

Ekblad dished out a pair of assists in Monday's win over the Maple Leafs.

EDGE Analysis

Ekblad also finished with a plus-2 rating and 23:21 worth of ice time in the victory. The defenseman has tallied five points in the last three games -- all helpers -- but he'll need to maintain a similar pace over the club's final three contests to match last season's 39-point output.

Ekblad scored a goal on three shots in Thursday's 6-2 win over Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

Ekblad now has two goals in the past three outings, firing on net nine times in that span. The 22-year-old has already exceed last year's tally mark of 12, but his assists are down from 27 to 13. The Panthers were probably hoping for a bigger jump from the 2014 No. 1 pick, but unfortunately it just hasn't come to fruition. However, the plus-16 rating on the year is something the defenseman can be proud of.

Ekblad bagged a power-play goal in Sunday's loss to the Wild.

EDGE Analysis

Ekblad knotted the score midway through the contest for the team's lone goal, but the Panthers were done in by a pair of late third-period tallies by the Wild. The 20-year-old snapped his longest dry spell of the season with the goal, as he was held off the scoresheet in six straight coming into Sunday.

Ekblad took four shots on goal to go with two hits, a blocked shot and a minus-1 rating in Monday's shootout victory over the Penguins.

EDGE Analysis

At just 20-years-old, Ekblad has shown himself to be one of the workhorse defensemen for the Panthers. He's second on the team in average ice time and his plus-16 rating is also good for second, both behind Brian Campbell. While he's scored a goal and an assist in his past six games, he has an unsightly minus-7 over that span while the team's collected just four points. After such a strong January, it's not too surprising that the Panthers are regressing a bit, but his negative rating in five of the past six could be a cause for concern.

Ekblad returned to the lineup Friday, potting his 10th goal of the season in a win over Chicago.

EDGE Analysis

The 2015 Calder Trophy winner had missed the past four games with an upper-body injury and made his presence felt in his return Friday, logging 20:32 of ice time and recording a plus-2 rating. It can't be overstated how valuable Ekblad is to his team, as the Panthers lost all four games while the 19-year-old blueliner was sidelined. Ekblad now has 20 points and an impressive plus-19 rating in 43 games, making him an all-around fantasy stud. Now that he's back to full health, make sure you get him back in your lineup.

Ekblad (concussion) will return to action Friday against Chicago, George Richards of the Miami Herald reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ekblad missed the previous four contests for the Panthers, all of which ended in defeat. The blueliner was in the midst of a six-game goalless streak when he was injured. On the year, the 19-year-old has nine scores and 10 helpers in 42 outings.

Ekblad (concussion) "should be ready" to return against the Blackhawks on Friday, according to Panthers coach Gerard Gallant.

EDGE Analysis

Ekblad has missed the past four games due to the concussion injury. He'll need to complete the concussion evaluation process and obtain medical clearance before he'd officially be able to return. The Panthers play the Lightning on Saturday for the second leg of a back-to-back set, and Ekblad seems very likely to draw into that contest if he ends up needing Friday off to round out his recovery.