GRIT & GF
Aaron Ekblad

Florida Panthers, Defence

Aaron Ekblad

  • Two-way
  • Stingy
  • Play-driver
Points, 2026–27
3
0 G, 3 A in 7 GP
Individual xG
0.8
0 goals from it
Ice time per game
21:03
11 shots on goal
xGF% at 5v5
67.9
share of chances while he's on

Aaron Ekblad has 0 goals and 3 assists (3 points) in 7 games for the Florida Panthers in 2026–27, with 11 shots on goal and 21:03 of ice time a game. His Grit & GF rating for 2026–27 is 23.6 out of 100, provisional until he has 15 to 20 games.

7 games in. The methodology requires 15 to 20 games to be accurate, so this season's rating still leans on the league average for his position and will move.

GRIT & GF

23.6050100
Rated above 55% of defencemen
Goals above average
+0.1
Wins
+0.01
Physicality43thGF74thIntimidation86thChemistry51thClutch72th

Where the rating comes from

Weight × score in standard deviations. They sum to −0.41, which the normal curve turns into the rating.

Your weights

Under these weights he ranks above 55.6% of 223 rated players

The default weights are our call. Set your own; they get rescaled to add up to 100%.

Intimidation

+0.88 SD · 86th percentile · weight 11% · +0.2 goals

How the other team plays when he is on the ice, compared with when he is off it in the same games, at 5-on-5.

  • Chances suppressedxGA per 60, off minus onPositive means opponents create less with him on the ice.0.1187th pct
  • Opponents' hits suppressedper 60, off minus onPositive means opponents finish fewer checks with him out there.0.9470th pct

Percentiles are against 223 rated defencemen in 2026-27, on 103 minutes of his 5-on-5 time. Hits, blocks and takeaways count toward the rating and are worth zero goals until a study shows otherwise. Model grit-0.5.

Embed or share this card

Free to use with a link back. The image updates as his rating does.

Aaron Ekblad's Grit & GF card
Download PNG

Game notes

Written the morning after from the night's stats, for games where he did something worth a sentence.

  1. vs MIN

    Thursday, March 26

    Drought over

    Aaron Ekblad scored for the first time in 28 games. That was his fourth goal of the season. The Panthers fell 3-2 to the Wild.

  2. vs WSH

    Monday, December 29

    Drought over

    Aaron Ekblad scored for the first time in 33 games. His goal stood up as the winner. He has 2 goals this season. It finished 5-3 for the Panthers.

Player card

Percentile among 194 defencemen with enough games this season. 50 is the median.

Scoring

  • Ice time per game21:03
    66
  • Points per 601.22
    69
  • Goals per 600.00
    30
  • Individual xG per 600.35
    80
  • Shots per 604.5
    70

5-on-5 play

  • xG for per 60, on ice3.56
    97
  • xG against per 60, on ice1.68
    96
  • xGF%67.9%
    98

Physical

  • Hits per 604.5
    73
  • Blocks per 602.4
    12
  • Penalty minutes per 601.6
    47

Skating and shooting

NHL EDGE puck and player tracking, 2026–27. Percentiles are the league's, against all skaters.

Skating

  • Top speed20.6 mph
    34
  • Bursts over 20 mph3
    41
  • Distance skated21 mi
    55

Shooting

  • Hardest shot85.3 mph
    51
  • Shots on goal11
    75
  • Shooting %0.0%
    43

Zone time

  • Offensive zone time46.3%
    91
  • Offensive zone time, even strength47.3%
    95

Who he plays with

His most-used defence partners at 5-on-5 this season, with what happened while they were out together.

PartnerGamesTOIShot attemptsxGGoalsxG share
Gustav Forsling682:59107–635.1–2.64–766%
Dmitry Kulikov510:576–110.4–0.21–163%
Niko Mikkola73:263–30.4–0.00–094%
Uvis Balinskis42:253–00.1–0.00–0100%

Where he shoots from

His unblocked shots this season, attacking right. 0 goals from 21 attempts.

GoalShot or miss

Last 20 games

Columns are his individual expected goals, the quality of his own chances. Dots are goals he scored.

ixGGoal
0.000.200.40
03-0510-17

By season

SeasonGPGAPSOGixGTOI/GPHitsBlkxGF% 5v5
2026–277033110.821:0311667.9
2025–267242226975.722:298410549.5
2024–2556330331066.223:31906453.4
2023–245141418986.020:52856056.1

Last 20 games

DateTOIGASOGixGHitsBlkPIM
2026-10-1719:580000.03210
2026-10-1522:210130.24220
2026-10-1321:270020.06020
2026-10-1220:250130.29304
2026-10-1021:190030.08210
2026-10-0121:330100.08000
2026-09-2920:170000.07200
2026-03-3120:490010.22000
2026-03-2921:140000.01010
2026-03-2824:070020.22110
2026-03-2622:391050.35000
2026-03-2421:540010.00212
2026-03-2021:540010.03120
2026-03-1918:130020.05000
2026-03-1723:290010.04200
2026-03-1522:460010.03112
2026-03-1222:520020.10000
2026-03-1021:420000.02110
2026-03-0625:370010.00130
2026-03-0522:190200.00020