The Florida Panthers made a massive trade on Saturday, acquiring former All-Star Claude Giroux from the Philadelphia Flyers. But Florida was not done. On Sunday, the Panthers completed a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Robert Hagg. In exchange, the Panthers sent a sixth-round draft pick in 2022 to Buffalo. The move was necessary as news surfaced that Aaron Ekblad is going to miss extensive time with an lower-body injury. The Panthers then had to place Ekblad on long-term injured reserve in order to clear cap space for Hagg on the roster.

Ekblad was injured in the first period of 3-0 win at Anaheim Friday. Ekblad ran into teammate Alexander Barkov in the corner and needed to use the boards to slowly get back to the bench. He would head to the locker room and not return.

Ekblad left a big hole on defense for the Panthers, prompting the trade for Hagg. Ekblad had 57 points (15 goals, 42 assists) in 61 games this season for Florida. Hagg is not nearly the offensive player, as he only has one goal and seven assists in 48 games this season. But Hagg at the very least will help anchor the defense.

The Panthers already strengthened their defense when they traded with the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Ben Chiarot last week.

Clearly, Florida is going all-in this year toward a Stanley Cup run. The Panthers lead the eastern conference with 90 points, and are only three points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the President's Trophy. But with how loaded the east is, it's still anyone's guess who reaches the final, never mind winning it.