FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers are optimistic about the return of their injured captain, Aleksander Barkov, possibly sooner than anticipated. Even amidst his recovery, he remains set to play when the team travels to his home country, Finland, for two games scheduled next month.
Barkov took to the ice for the first time on Thursday following a lower-body injury he sustained during a game against Ottawa on October 10. If his progress continues positively, he could make his comeback during the upcoming road trip, which features games against the New York Rangers on October 24, the New York Islanders on October 26, and Buffalo on October 28.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice emphasized that the vital factor for Barkov is to complete a week of rigorous skating without experiencing any setbacks or re-injuries. He remarked, “He’s really in tune to his body,” highlighting the Panthers’ strategy to proceed with caution rather than being overly protective regarding Barkov’s return timeline. “He puts a lot of time into it. He was here for a long time yesterday getting worked on. He’ll play as soon as he asserts he’s 100% ready.”
Thursday’s matchup against Vancouver marked the fourth consecutive game that Barkov missed; he is also anticipated to be sidelined for Saturday’s home game against Vegas and a Tuesday match against Minnesota.
The injury occurred late in the third period during the Panthers’ 3-1 defeat to Ottawa when Barkov collided with the end boards while trying to thwart an empty-net goal from Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle.
Florida forward Sam Reinhart commented on Barkov’s progress, stating, “Anytime you can see your captain getting back out there and making strides towards a comeback is obviously a boost towards your locker room.”
In addition to Barkov’s situation, there was further positive news for the Panthers as Maurice reported that forward Matthew Tkachuk is healing well from an undisclosed illness. Tkachuk is expected to be ready for the game against Minnesota on October 22, having missed action since the same game where Barkov was injured. Maurice noted that Tkachuk is tentatively scheduled to skate again on Friday.
Barkov, who is 29 years old, is a veteran player in his 12th season exclusively with the Panthers. He holds the distinction of being the first Finnish-born captain to lead a team to a Stanley Cup championship when the Panthers triumphed over Edmonton last season.
The Panthers are set to play two games in Finland on November 1 and 2, facing off against the Dallas Stars in Tampere. Barkov, the franchise’s all-time leader in several categories such as goals (266), assists (446), points (712), and game-winning goals (48), logged one assist in the first two games of the current season.