Aaron Ekblad out Thursday for Panthers with 'sore neck'

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will not play in the team’s Thursday game against the Arizona Coyotes because of a sore neck, coach Tom Rowe told reporters.

Ekblad returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes after a four game absence due to a concussion suffered on March 11. He played 18:14 and was a minus-1 in the 4-3 loss. Rowe said that this neck problem is unrelated to Ekblad’s concussion.

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“This wasn’t too bad,” Ekblad said Tuesday morning before the last game about his head injury. “It’s still something I have to take care of. There’s no concern from me, I still feel good every day. I wake up and don’t have headaches. I feel good.”

Ekblad has struggled to deal with injuries to his head-and-neck area since before the start of the season. At the World Cup of Hockey with Team North America, Ekblad said he suffered whiplash off a hit from Team Finland forward Leo Komarov. Initially it was reported Ekblad suffered a concussion. Ekblad had to leave the tournament early.

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In his third pro season, Ekblad, the 2014-15 Calder winner, has struggled through a down year with 21 points in 68 games after he had averaged 37.5 points his previous two seasons. The Panthers currently have 73 points, nine behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot.

The Panthers have a game in hand on Boston, but the chances of them making the playoffs are small, which could raise questions on whether the team should just shut down Ekblad, a franchise cornerstone, for the remainder of the season.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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