Early in the season the Florida Panthers are going through their ups and downs with a big win and a big loss already on their record, but during their latest loss, they saw captain Aleksander Barkov go down in a scary collision. Thankfully on Friday, there was a positive update on update on Barkov and his status and his status, and now, Head Coach Paul Maurice has given an official timeline on his captain's return.
According to Maurice, the veteran forward should only be out between two and three weeks, which should come as a major relief for Panthers fans who feared their captain may have sustained a long-term injury, with potential optimism that he could be back even sooner than that timeline suggests. However, the injury news doesn't get better for Florida, as star forward Matthew Tkachuk will reportedly miss their Saturday night clash with the Buffalo Sabres, reportedly due to an illness.
This serves as a double blow for the Panthers who are looking to find their chemistry and their groove early in the season, and while they've still got some immense talents on their Stanley Cup winning roster, it's hard to ignore that they are missing two massive stars in their lineup. The year after winning the Stanley Cup, it's no secret that every team in the league will give you their best shot and have your game circled on their calendar, so this season will be even tougher than last, and with both Tkachuk and Barkov out, this will be a major test for the Panthers as they look to go back-to-back in 2024/25.
POLL | ||
Will the Florida Panthers go back-to-back and win the Stanley Cup in 2024/25? | ||
Yes | 12 | 6.8 % |
No | 164 | 93.2 % |
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