“Ed Jovanovski” Defenseman of the Season

Danny Janicas: Aaron Ekblad
Kevin Fielder: Keith Yandle
Sam Golub: Aaron Ekblad
Jacob Langsam: Mark Pysyk
Kirby Lupul: Keith Yandle
Luke Kendall: Keith Yandle
Jonathan Reichenberger: Keith Yandle
T.J. Peterson: Michael Matheson
Cal Friedman: Keith Yandle
Jake Tucker: Keith Yandle
"“Aaron Ekblad proved he’s worthy of the enormous contract extension given by registering this best offensive season to date. He improved defensively and even played all 82 games this season despite recovering from past concussions… outstanding play, and kept Florida in the playoff hunt until the very end of the season” – Sam Golub"
"“Keith Yandle’s ability to consistently put up points makes him irreplaceable for a team like the Panthers. While he can be shaky at times in the defensive zone, he had gotten used to the Panthers’ system and he’s done much better compared to the previous year. His effectiveness on the power play is crucial as he not only serves as the ‘quarterback’ of the power play, but also like another forward on the ice.” – Jonathan Reichenberger"
"“The Panthers’ defense was one of the best scoring defenses in the entire NHL. However, when it came to the defense playing… well… defense, the group as a whole was not very good. The team’s penalty differential was -37, with Mark Pysyk being the only Panthers’ defenseman to even be positive in that metric. Mark Pysyk probably played the best defense of any Panthers defenseman this season, with the lowest shot attempts against per 60 minutes, often against other teams’ top competitions. He also led the top two pairings in expected goals for percentage.” – Jacob Langsam"
"“This year, Aaron Ekblad turned things around. He was sharp within his own zone, improving on the little things defensively (like positioning). But what was great to see was his spark upfront, giving the fans a little nostalgic feeling from his first couple of seasons in a Cats uniform. Aaron’s numbers entirely improved compared to his miserable campaign the season before, and it’s safe to say that the old Aaron Ekblad is back, fresh, and healthy!” – Danny Janicas"