NOTEBOOK: Ekblad and Weegar's Chemistry; Wennberg Making an Impression

In today's Baptist Health Practice Notebook, Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar want to pick up where they left off, newcomer Alex Wennberg is making a good first impression and more!
SUNRISE, Fla. - Joel Quenneville likes the potential of his current top defensive pairing.
While an influx of new faces during the offseason has led to a lot of experimenting throughout the lineup, the Florida Panthers blue line tandem of Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar has remained a constant throughout the first two on-ice sessions of training camp at BB&T Center.

"I think they work well together as far as using one another when they have the puck," Quenneville said after Tuesday's practice. "Their gap has been improving with time. I think they're more predictable in their own end, exiting passes and joining the attack is real solid.
"I think their best attributes is how well they read off of one another off the points in the offensive zone, creating some outlets, some options and some possession time. Defensively is how you measure defenseman first and foremost, and I think they're getting better as they grow."
Coming together to form the team's first pairing last season, the dependable duo of Ekblad and Weegar proved to be a potent combination. Able to stifle opposing attackers while also chipping in on offense, the Panthers outscored the opposition 33-23 when they were on the ice at 5-on-5.
In that same time, Florida also owned a 308-249 advantage in shot attempts.
"I think during the season we're going to continue that shutdown role," said Weegar, who inked a three-year extension during the offseason. "We're defensemen first. Whatever we can bring offensively, I think we can bring a little bit more this year. What I'm looking forward to is bringing a little more offense as long as we're strong on D."
From an individual standpoint, each of them also posted career-best numbers in 2019-20.
In 67 games, Ekblad registered new career-highs in points (41) and assists (36), while Weegar, despite being limited to just 45 games due to injury, set new highs in points (18) and goals (7).
Ekblad also led the team in average ice time per game (22:59), while Weegar sat third (20:07).
"I felt that when we played together, we played well," Ekblad said. "I pushed to have us play together and the coaching staff agreed. I just love playing with Weegs. His creativity is great. I felt that we gelled pretty quickly and that ability to kind of have that two-way conversation where we both listen to each other and understand that constructive criticism it really works. I respect him as a player, and I respect his opinion on things. It's a good two-way relationship."
While there's still much that needs to be decided in camp, both Ekblad and Weegar are hoping that they'll be able to continue what they started last season. For although they have different names on the back of their jerseys, the two rearguards are feeling more like family these days.
"We're so close off the ice," Weegar said. "We just feel like we're kind of brothers."

WENNBERG MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Newcomer Alex Wennberg is making a good impression early on in camp.
Brought in by the Panthers on a one-year contract during free agency, the 26-year-old forward was singled out by Quenneville as one of the standouts during Monday's opening day of camp, earning very high marks for his skating ability while centering Brett Connolly and Frank Vatrano.
"He caught a lot of guy's eyes today," Quenneville said.
Embracing a fresh start in South Florida, Wennberg, a first-round pick in the 2014 draft, spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career in Columbus. In that time, he racked up 201 points (40 goals, 161 assists) in 415 games, including registering a career-high 59 points in 2016-17.
In his final season with the Blue Jackets, he really came online during the postseason, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with five points in 10 games. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Tampa Bay, he looked particularly good while tallying a goal and an assist.
"I felt good," Wennberg said of his first day of practice. "Obviously, it's a little different coming back to practice here… There's a lot of energy out there, a lot of guys excited to be back."
Arriving to town about three weeks ago, Wennberg partially credited his smooth transition to being able to get in a few skates with some of his new teammates at the Panthers IceDen before camp started. With no preseason, that time could end up proving to be invaluable.
"It's a little bit different, but there's no excuses," Wennberg said of the unusual circumstances of this season. "This is the scenario right here. It means you get a chance to show off in practices. Obviously, there's shorter time to get into the systems, but you've got to listen more, get ready."
As for off-ice adjustments, Wennberg, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, is already settled in.
"You pack all this winter stuff, and you don't really need it," Wennberg said with a chuckle. "Right now I'm walking home in flip flops and a t-shirt. It's very different and not what I'm used to… I love every moment of it. It's been a great start, and I think it's only going to get better."

GILDON READY TO TURN PRO

Max Gildon is one of a of couple prospects at camp entering their first professional season.
A third-round pick (66th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old defenseman spent the past three seasons starring at the University of New Hampshire. In his final NCAA campaign, he paced the Wildcats and ranked 11th in the nation among blueliners with a career-high 29 points.
Even with one year of eligibility left, he knew it was time to make the jump.
"Making that jump to the next level, I just thought I was ready," said Gildon, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract in March. "I'm just looking for a challenge. UNH helped me develop a lot. I thank them for everything they've done, but I just thought it was time for that next step."
An effective player when the puck is on his stick, Gildon recorded 73 points (21 goals, 52 assists) over 101 career games with the Wildcats. Showing off his scoring touch as the point man on the team's top power-play unit, 13 of those 21 goals came while on the man advantage.
During Tuesday's practice, however, it was his physicality that caught Quenneville's attention.
"I like the way he competes," Quenneville said. "He's only going to get better with experience and time, but he does a lot of good things. I think he's got a good hockey mind as well."
Only a few days into the first training camp of his career, Gildon is soaking it all in.
"It's awesome," said Gildon, a Hobey Baker nominee in 2019-20. "I'm just trying to take it all in and learn as much as I can… The D core that's been established here is awesome, so I'm just trying to learn."

TUESDAY'S PRACTICE LINES

Group 1
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau - Aleksander Barkov - Anthony Duclair
Grigori Denisenko - Noel Acciari - Vinnie Hinostroza
Henry Bowlby - Cole Schwindt - Scott Wilson
Defensemen
Riley Stillman - Anton Stralman
Kevin Connauton - Radko Gudas
Max Gildon - Jake Massie
Goaltenders
Chris Driedger
Sam Montembeault
GROUP 2
Forwards
Frank Vatrano - Alex Wennberg - Brett Connolly
Carter Verhaeghe - Eetu Luostarinen - Owen Tippett
Ryan Lomberg - Aleksi Heponiemi - Mason Marchment / Serron Noel
Defensemen
MacKenzie Weegar - Aaron Ekblad
John Ludvig - Brady Keeper
Keith Yandle - Mason Marchment / Serron Noel
Goaltenders
Scott Darling
Philippe Desrosiers
DID NOT PRACTICE
Sergei Bobrovsky, Patric Hornqvist, Chase Priskie, Juho Lammikko, Markus Nutivaara