The Florida Panthers are thus far following up last season's Stanley Cup Final appearance with a respectable 10-5-1 start to the 2023-24 campaign and a second-place standing in the Atlantic Division. Though, the return of two key defensemen might be the boost they need to really hit their stride.

“Brandon Montour should make his season debut for Panthers,” Eric Stephens of The Athletic reported. “Aaron Ekblad could join him.”

This is obviously great news for the team and its fans, as they get set for a Friday night showdown against the Anaheim Ducks. It has been a long wait, but everything is starting to come together for Paul Maurice's squad. The rest of the NHL has been put on notice.

Montour and Ekblad each underwent shoulder surgery this past June after falling in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Final. They have been working their way back, practicing with the team for some time, so this news is fairly unsurprising. Nothing has been made official yet, but fans should expect to see a bolstered Panthers' blue line in the Honda Center.

Earlier in the week, center Sam Bennett returned from a lower body injury he sustained a couple weeks back against the Boston Bruins. Florida's ability to play through key absences warrants plenty of praise. Ideally, all this adversity the Panthers have weathered will better prepare them for their ongoing pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Fans should keep an eye out for a final update on the status of Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad. The puck drops at approximately 10 p.m. ET.