Ekblad strengthening case to stick with Panthers

Aaron Ekblad's probably going to have to change his Twitter handle sooner than later.

The Panthers' rookie defenseman goes by @EK5Colts, referring to his junior team, the OHL's Barrie Colts. But after six games with the club that drafted him first overall at the 2014 NHL Draft, it appears Ekblad will remain in Florida for the long haul.

To wit, Ekblad saw 20 minutes of ice time during Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win in Colorado, displaying maturity beyond his years by joining the rush and deftly setting up this goal by fellow teenager Aleksander Barkov.

"The kid is playing the way we want him to," Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant told FOX Sports before the team left for a two-game road trip. 

"He's looked good. He's playing the way he did in junior although he's playing against men, against NHL players, so he's not getting the scoring chances he did. Still, he's putting the puck to the net, moving the puck and defending real well. He's getting better every game."

Through six games, Ekblad has two assists, eight shots on goal and a Corsi For percentage of 59.8 while starting 59.5 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone (according to War On Ice).

His defensive responsibilities will only increase as time goes on - as will his offensive numbers - meaning we're likely to see @EK5Panthers on Twitter in the near future.