Aaron Ekblad suspended 20 games for violating NHL's Performance Enhancing Substances Program

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for 20 games by the NHL for violating the leagues Performance Enhancing Substances Program, the NHL announced in a statement Monday.

Ekblad, 29, must submit a mandatory referral to the leagues program for substance abuse and behavioral health for evaluation and possible treatment, according to the NHLs collective bargaining agreement.

In a statement, Ekblad acknowledged his suspension: The news that I had failed a random drug test was a shock.

Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.

Ekblad has logged 56 games this season, tallying 30 assists and scoring three goals.

He has played a positive role in Floridas season thus far, logging a plus-11 when he is on the ice.

The Panthers, currently on a six-game winning streak, sit atop the Atlantic Division at 40-21, just ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Advertisement Ekblad puts playoffs and his future in jeopardy The good news for the Panthers is theyre at no risk of missing the playoffs, even without Ekblad for the final 18 games of the regular season.

The bad news for the Panthers is Ekblad also will miss the first two playoff games.

That could be a significant blow to Floridas hopes of repeating, especially if the Panthers draw the resurgent Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, which remains a real possibility.

No Panthers player logs more ice time than Ekblad, and no Panthers defenseman puts up more points than Ekblad.

Hes not easily replaced.

Fortunately for the Panthers, they just acquired four-time All-Star defenseman Seth Jones less than two weeks ago.

Jones was going to slot in as Floridas No.

3 defenseman, but now hell have to move up to the No.

2 role behind Gustav Forsling.

Perhaps a more interesting question is what does this mean for Ekblads future? A Panthers stalwart since being drafted first overall in 2014, Ekblad will be a pending unrestricted free agent this summer.

The trade for Jones who is signed for five more seasons already made Ekblad something of a long shot to return.

Ekblad called this a mistake, the product of not doing his due diligence with something he took for injury recovery.

But hes the first NHL player in more than six years to be suspended for a performance-enhancing drug.

Its a big black mark against his name.

Will the Panthers be even more reluctant to bring him back now? Will other teams be more trepidatious about offering him a contract? Or will a sterling career-long reputation make it easier to look past? An already uncertain summer for Ekblad just got a lot more dicey.

Mark Lazerus, senior writer Required reading (Photo of Aaron Ekblad: Megan Briggs / Getty Images).

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