Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returns to the ice
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, who has missed the entire year so far because of a catastrophic knee injury, was back on the ice at practice today.
The Florida Panthers, who are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, have had to deal with multiple major injuries this year, including a catastrophic knee injury to captain Aleksander Barkov before the season even began.
Even though his status for the rest of the year has yet to be determined, Barkov was back on the ice today at the team's practice rink in Ft. Lauderdale along with several other injured players like Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich and Tomas Nosek.
Kulikov has only played in two games this year; Gadjovich has only played in 10 games, and Nosek has played in as many games as Barkov: zero.
Aleksander Barkov Tore His ACL And MCL Before The Season Began
The Panthers were already going to be very shorthanded to start their second straight year of Stanley Cup defense, as assistant captain Matthew Tkachuk underwent surgery for multiple injuries that he managed to play through during the playoffs.
During a practice before the season started, Barkov went down in a heap to the ice, and there were immediate fears that he could be severely injured which later proved true.
Barkov suffered a torn ACL and MCL and was feared lost for the entire season, but that remains to be seen.
Per NHL analyst Chris Johnston earlier in the month, the Panthers will need to know whether he can play by the March 6 trade deadline.
He's started to skate a little bit, but if you've seen it, it's in a tracksuit. He's still got quite a bit to go, but also we're only at the beginning of January
I think the ultimate question for the Panthers is they're going to need to know by March 6 when that return can be with a little more clarity , because it might impact what they are able to do at the trade deadline. - Chris Johnston
I think the ultimate question for the Panthers is they're going to need to know by March 6 when that return can be with a little more clarity , because it might impact what they are able to do at the trade deadline. - Chris Johnston
Last year, Barkov had 71 points (20G, 51A) in 67 games.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 27|312 ANSWERS Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returns to the ice Will the Panthers make the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 175 | 56.1 % |
| No | 137 | 43.9 % |
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