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The Florida Panthers were dealt a blow midway through the 2024-25 campaign when veteran defenseman Aaron Ekblad was suspended for 20 games after he violated the league's performance enhancing drug policy. With just four games left in the regular season, though, the team has received some good news on Ekblad.
The suspension for Ekblad was announced back on March 10, and while he initially said it was a mistake, he later issued an apology to his teammates and the Panthers. He has since missed Florida's ensuing 14 games, with the team losing nine of those contests as they crawl into the postseason.
While the absence of Matthew Tkachuk has obviously been prominent, being without Ekblad on the blue line has hurt as well. He had been enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign, racking up three goals and 30 assists over 56 games for the Panthers after totaling just 18 points in 51 games during their Stanley Cup campaign.
With the postseason right around the corner, the Panthers are hoping to get back to their winning ways soon, and a return to full strength figures to help them. That starts with getting Ekblad back from this suspension, as he has been cleared to resume team activities as he begins ramping back up in preparation for his return to action.
"Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been cleared to resume team activities in anticipation of his return from a 20-game suspension for violating the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program," Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported on Thursday afternoon.
Florida has posted a 45-29-4 record in the wake of winning the Stanley Cup last season, which is good for 94 points. They will return to the ice on Thursday night when they take on the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. ET.
More must-reads:
- Flyers announce major changes to coaching staff after disappointing season
- Stanley Cup playoffs takeaways: Panthers deliver emphatic message in Game 1 win
- The 'Most 30-goal seasons in NHL history' quiz
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Drury Signs with Rangers, Team Reportedly Rehiring Tortorella
According to Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, John Tortorella is being brought back to the New York Rangers. After GM Chris Drury signed an extension as the GM of the team, rumors started the surface that Torts could be back. When people doubted the report and wondered if it was accurate, Silber responded, “I was not hacked, for those asking. Got a message from a source close to Flyers org. We’ll see what unfolds.” Drury, whose future was unclear, is staying with the Rangers. The team released a statement on Wednesday, confirming that they had signed him to an extension. It’s a multi-year extension. Whether Tortorella is being looked at for the head coaching job after former head coach Peter Laviolette was relieved of his coaching duties isn’t being reported. It would be an interesting decision, but Torts has a history with the Rangers. If he is being hired, Drury must have the backing of ownership and the higher ups. James Dolan said via the team’s press release. “Over his tenure, Chris has shown passion for the Rangers, relentless work ethic, and a tireless pursuit of excellence. While we are all disappointed in what transpired this past season, I am confident in his ability to guide this organization to success.” There have been no other reports from reputable sources regarding Tortorella’s re-hiring. For now, we’ll take this as little more than a rumor. When Silber’s post blew up, she wrote, “I’ve never been an insider, so this is a bit wild. I’m just reporting what I’m hearing, we’ll see what unfolds but speaking with others sounds like Dolan wants Tortorella back on board.”
Abdul Carter gives huge hints about which team will take him during 2025 NFL Draft
Updates offered as recently as Wednesday indicated that the New York Giants are prepared to select Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter with the third overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. While speaking with Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on Wednesday, Carter sounded like somebody who knew he would officially be welcomed to the league by the Giants on Thursday night. "It’ll be a blessing to play with those guys," Carter said about Big Blue edge-rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. "I’m gonna come compete and we’ll form the best pass rush in the league." Carter vowed that he will be "all New York" once he's drafted by the Giants, even though he grew up a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. Per Matt Ehalt of the New York Post, Carter added that he "definitely" feels he will end up with the Giants. The Tennessee Titans have essentially confirmed they will make Miami quarterback Cam Ward the draft's first pick. Local and national reporters predicted on Wednesday that the Cleveland Browns will take Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter over Carter at No. 2. As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Carter as the betting favorite at -800 odds to be the draft's third pick. Unless the Giants receive a so-called "'Godfather' offer" for that choice, they'll be able to get the young man seen by ESPN's Matt Miller and other analysts as the top overall player in this year's class. Some have suggested the Giants will grab Carter and then look to trade Thibodeaux, as the club has until May 1 to decide whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option attached to Thibodeaux's rookie contract. It sounds like Carter thinks he should share a locker room with Thibodeaux and Burns for at least one season. "You never can have enough pass-rushers," Carter explained. "Just having that threat, that’s how championships are won — having that pass rush, being able to rush four or five, that’s all good." The Giants are expected to draft a rookie for their quarterback room that is currently occupied by Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito. Multiple insiders believe the Giants will take Carter at pick No. 3 and then trade back into the first round to select Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart.
Report: Patrick Dumont, Luka Doncic Had Negative Interaction Before Mavericks-Lakers Trade
According to NBA insider Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal, Patrick Dumont and Luka Doncic had a negative interaction a few weeks before the Dallas Mavericks traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dumont told Nico Harrison he could trade Doncic after that negative interaction. “But it was Harrison who pursued the deal with conviction, and it was Dumont who gave him the green light,” Afseth wrote. “Sources informed DallasHoopsJournal.com that among the factors that led Dumont to provide the green light was an interaction he had with Dončić, focused on addressing perceived conditioning concerns. This occurred before Harrison initiated trade talks for Dončić at his coffee meeting with Pelinka in Dallas before the Mavericks faced the Lakers on Jan. 7. As one might expect, that interaction involving Dončić and Dumont did not go well. Weeks later, Dončić was traded, with a heavy run of media leaks emphasizing conditioning to follow.” Dumont and Harrison were not happy with Doncic’s conditioning. Harrison targeted Anthony Davis in the Doncic trade since he has known the Chicago native for a long time. Doncic appeared in 422 games with the Mavericks. He averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists and made five All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams. Dallas lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Mavericks missed the playoffs this year. During a closed-door media session last week, Harrison told reporters he doesn’t regret trading Doncic, who wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas. “Yeah, there’s no regrets on the trade,” Harrison said. “Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. And some of the decisions I’m going to make are going to be unpopular, and that’s my job, and I have to stand by it. And one last thing, also add, every trade I’ve done has been met with high scrutiny, and so eventually I’ll earn the trust of this community that you know some of these trades are going to work out, and they have at a high-level.”
Steelers WR George Pickens linked to NFC North team before 2025 NFL Draft
The Green Bay Packers desperately need a wide receiver, but the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled Thursday-Saturday in Green Bay, may not be the place to find one. Tankathon gives four wide receivers first-round grades: Colorado's Travis Hunter (6-foot, 188 pounds), Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan (6-foot-4, 219 pounds), Texas' Matthew Golden (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka (6-foot-1, 202 pounds). All could be unavailable for the Packers at pick No. 23 in the first round. Thus, Green Bay may take a flier on a talented but polarizing wide receiver. In a story published Wednesday, Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported the Pittsburgh Steelers are taking calls on WR George Pickens, and the Packers may be interested. This offseason, the Steelers acquired two-time Pro Bowl WR DK Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, which may make Pickens more expendable. "It's just not in their DNA to spend that much on two wideouts," an AFC general manager told Schultz. "Pickens is more available than people think. Green Bay's been serious, and they're not the only ones." Pickens — who is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025 — logged 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdown catches in his first three seasons with the Steelers. However, he recorded a career-high six drops in 14 regular-season games in 2024, per Pro Football Reference. He's not afraid to publicly criticize his team, either. "Uh, nah," Pickens said when asked if he was optimistic about the Steelers' offensive growth following a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC wild-card round. But do the Packers have a WR who is better than Pickens? Last season, no Packer surpassed 857 receiving yards. Pickens, meanwhile, had 900 receiving yards despite the Steelers rotating between QBs Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Playing with Packers QB Jordan Love should improve Pickens' numbers. In 15 games last season, Love tied for 10th in the league in TD passes (25). Trading for Pickens could be a risk for Green Bay. Still, if the Packers can't improve their receiving corps in the draft, it could be one worth taking.
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