Panthers rookie Aaron Ekblad already feeling comfortable in NHL
Five games into his Florida Panthers career and rookie defenseman Aaron Ekblad is already feeling like an NHL player.
"I feel like I'm here and I'm battling every single day," Ekblad said before embarking on his first NHL road trip. "I'm giving absolutely everything. I've got to play here and be here. With the support that I have from the guys on this team, I think I can do that."
Looking more like a project than a professional during the team's six-game preseason, hesitant and prone to mistakes, Ekblad seemingly flipped a switch on the eve of the Panthers season opener in Tampa Bay and hasn't looked back since.
Through five games this season, Ekblad has notched one assist, seven hits, five blocks and eight shots while staring down some of the league's best offensive weapons such as Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin.
"You're going against pretty good players and have to respect that," Ekblad said. "You don't like to make mistakes and want to capitalize on your talents. So confidence is a big thing. If you make mistakes, don't dwell on them."
Leaning heavily on team captain Willie Mitchell for guidance and support during the training camp and the preseason, both as a defensive partner and mentor, Ekblad altered his game when the decision was made to place him alongside one of the game's premier puck movers in Brian Campbell.
"I've said it about 10 times now, (Brian Campbell) is one of the most gifted players in the league defensively and offensively," said Ekblad. "It's pretty awesome to play with a guy like. That's so good, so confident, so poised and likes to take risks and make plays. I love that kind of game."
Playing beyond the already lofty expectations that come with being a No. 1 overall draft pick, it's almost as if a wide-eyed Ekblad walked into a phone booth and came out as Superman. No, he's not leaping tall buildings in a single bound or faster than a speeding bullet, but the 18-year-old certainly looks like a future star.
His hesitation is gone. The jitters? A thing of the past. And although the Panthers still have the option of sending him back to his junior team after nine games without him burning a year of his contract, it doesn't appear that Ekblad is going anywhere.
"I'm not thinking about it at all," Ekblad said of his nine-game showcase. "I'm just playing every single game like I belong here and things will go as planned."
Having coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three seasons, winning a Memorial Cup in 2011, new Panthers coach Gerard Gallant knows just how difficult Ekblad's transition from junior hockey to the NHL can be.
"A lot of the time kids come up here and just try to be safe and we don't want to play safe," said Gallant, who has coached the Panthers to a 1-2-2 record thus far. "We want to play a smart game. Play the way you played in junior. Play what made you a first overall draft choice, and that's what he's doing.
"He makes mistakes like everybody else on the ice does, but he's playing the game that he played in junior and the game we want him to play up here."
As Ekblad's confidence continues to grow, so does Gallant's trust in him. In five games this season, Ekblad's ice time has risen from 19:05 in his debut to a season-high 25:25 in Saturday's 2-1 shootout loss to Washington. Additionally, Ekblad's willingness to shoot pucks and offensive awareness have already made him an integral part of Gallant's power play, culminating in a team-high 4:27 of power play time on Saturday.
Often in awe of the fact that one of his top defensemen is still just 18-years-old, Gallant can only smile in knowing that Ekblad's best hockey is obviously still to come.
"The kid is playing the way we want him to," Gallant said. "He's looked good. He's playing the way he did in junior although he's playing against men, against NHL players so he's not getting the scoring chances he did. Still, he's putting the puck to the net, moving the puck and defending real well. He's getting better every game."
As for Ekblad, well, he feels right at home.
"I couldn't be happier," Ekblad said. "I know this was probably going to be the absolute best possible opportunity and position for me to play and I'm more than happy here."
You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.
