VANCOUVER — Florida Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad is out with an upper-body injury after taking a hard hit from Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Hendricks on Sunday night.
Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant said Ekblad would miss Monday's game against the Vancouver Canucks, adding there's no timetable for his return.
The 19-year-old Ekblad was going back for a loose puck behind the Florida net when he was nailed by Hendricks in the third period of the Panthers' 2-1 victory over the Oilers.
Ekblad initially had trouble getting to his feet and went to the locker-room, but returned to the game later in the period.
There was no penalty on the play for the hit, but Hendricks was set to have a phone hearing with the NHL's department of player safety on Monday regarding the incident.
The first overall pick in 2014, Ekblad has nine goals and 10 assists in 42 games this season for Florida, which was going for its 13th straight victory on Monday.
