Panthers hit with another discouraging Aleksander Barkov update

The Florida Panthers were without Aleksander Barkov in their recent clash with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Barkov suffered an injury on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens. While he returned for the third period, the injury kept him out of action on Wednesday against Toronto.

The Panthers were hoping to get their captain back for this weekend’s contests. However, it does not appear that that will be the case. Head coach Paul Maurice says Barkov will not take the ice this weekend. “It’s not serious, but he’s not playing this weekend,” Maurice said Friday, via NHL.com.

Florida is dealing with a slew of injuries among its forward core. Matthew Tkachuk remains on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury before the NHL Trade Deadline. Trade acquisition Nico Sturm is also out with an upper-body injury. This could lead to some reshuffling of Florida’s forward group.

“We’ve got an opportunity to experiment, which is forced on us,” Maurice said, via NHL.com. “When Barkov goes out of your lineup, it changes your centericemen. We’re just looking at different guys.”

The Panthers are one of the best teams in the NHL at this time. However, they have found themselves in a bit of a rut. Florida has lost seven of its last 11 games, including three in a row. This has caused the Panthers to drop to third in the Atlantic Division.

In saying this, they have two favorable matchups on the horizon. Florida takes on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in a clash between two potentially playoff-bound teams. On Sunday, the Panthers continue their road trip to face the Detroit Red Wings in the Motor City.

The Panthers should not take these teams lightly by any means. However, these are games they can win even with the injuries considered. It would certainly be a great way to gain momentum before welcoming Barkov back to the lineup when he’s healthy.