Gallant: Ekblad will be fine

The Florida Panthers appear to have dodged a major injury scare.

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is at training camp and back on skates after having to leave the World Cup as a result of an upper-body injury. Originally feared to be a concussion, it was later described as a stiff neck, and head coach Gerard Gallant now seems rather hopeful about a quick recovery.

"(Ekblad) is going to be fine," Gallant told reporters Saturday. "You see him out there skating already. I think it was a little scare but he feels good. ... Everything looks good."

The 20-year-old signed an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million on July 1, and will serve as Florida's top defenseman once healthy.