The Florida Panthers were joined by captain Aleksander Barkov today for his first full practice with the team.
On multiple occasions this season, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has skated on his own, or with other injured players, before the team took the ice for practice.
But today, Barkov stuck around and skated with the team while sporting a non-contact jersey.
As mentioned, Barkov has been skating since January, but today marks the first time the 30-year-old has participated in drills and practiced with the team. Barkov sustained an ACL and MCL injury in training camp this year and has initially been given a seven-to-nine-month recovery time.
While it hasn’t been confirmed whether Barkov will see action before the end of the season, it’s a real positive sign that Barkov is recovering.
“He’s out of that bubble wrap. He can move around,” coach Paul Maurice said of Barkov following practice. “If somebody bumps into him, nobody is going to - well, I’m going to catch my breath - but nobody else will. He’ll be fine. It’s fun having him out there.”
The Panthers currently sit 11 points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and their playoff chances grow slimmer by the day. Even if Barkov can return at some point during the Panthers’ final 19 games, he likely wouldn’t be able to lead them to the playoffs.
While Barkov sees a positive update in his recovery, Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart were given difficult news. The Panthers’ two top scorers will be out of the lineup tonight as they deal with soft tissue issues.
Additionally, Seth Jones and Jonah Gadjovich will need to wait a bit longer to return to the lineup, as Maurice provided updates on them yesterday.
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