The Florida Panthers were pleased to see four injured players skate today as Aleksander Barkov, Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek and Dmitry Kulikov continue their rehab.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, may prove to be an important day in the Florida Panthers’ season.
While the Panthers have been getting healthier, welcoming back Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, they remain without multiple other key players. Today, they received some positive news, as captain Aleksander Barkov, center Tomas Nosek, winger Jonah Gadjovich, and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov skated on their own.
Barkov and Nosek have not played a game this season, and their return status remains unknown. The Panthers are hoping both could join either before or during the playoffs if they get that far.
Barkov has been seen on the ice before, but was doing some light skating. Today, he appeared to be skating with a bit more intent, but still did not look very comfortable doing so, according to a report from George Richards. He was taking shots and working on his puck handling.
Nosek took the ice for the first time since suffering an off-season knee injury. His return process hasn’t gone as smoothly as Barkov’s recovery from an ACL and MCL tear.
Gadjovich and Kulikov are both expected to return to the Panthers’ lineup prior to the playoffs, as coach Paul Maurice previously stated.
Maurice had stated that Gadjovich likely wouldn’t return until after the Olympic break, which would mean his return would be in late February or early March. The 27-year-old skated in 10 games before his injury, recording three assists.
As for Kulikov, the Panthers aren’t expecting him to return until mid-March as he recovers from a labral tear. He had only participated in two games before sustaining his injury.
While none of these player’s returns are imminent, it’s another positive step in their road to recovery. The next step for all of these players is to join the team at practice and begin skating at game speed.
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