Season Rewind: Aaron Ekblad

SUNRISE, Fla. – Sophomore slump? No thanks. After capturing the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2014-15, former No. 1 overall pick Aaron Ekblad didn’t skip a beat during a second season of patrolling the blue line for the Florida Panthers. As a consistent fixture on Florida’s top-defensive pairing, Ekblad scored a career-high 15 goals, including four game winners, to go along with 21 assists in 78 games. His 182 shots on goal were tops among all Panthers skaters and his 21:40 of ice time per game were second to only veteran defenseman Brian Campbell. When asked how he was able to avoid the pitfalls that typically accompany any Calder Trophy winner’s highly anticipated follow-up campaign, Ekblad confessed that his mindset entering the season was less about tweaking his game and more about focusing on the idea that hockey is, in fact, just a game. “Everyone always talks about that sophomore slump, and I think I experienced it early,” Ekblad said after cleaning out his locker at the BB&T Center in April. “I might have only had a point for six or seven games, but it was always a stick-with-it-type thing. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself early on, but then I kind of realized that there’s no pressure. “This is a game I’ve played my whole life. This is a game that my teammates have played their whole lives. They’re here to support me and I’m here to support them in every situation.” In his first taste of the postseason, Ekblad recorded one assist, seven blocked …

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