Florida Panthers center Cole Schwindt collided with Sergei Bobrovsky in the first period, forcing him to leave the game and not return.

The 24-year-old will be seen by a doctor on Wednesday, according to coach Paul Maurice, and the expectation is that it won't be a short-term issue.

The early news is unfortunate for Schwindt, as he had truly secured the fourth-line center role since being claimed off waivers. He's scored just two goals in 10 games, but standing 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Schwindt is a safe option due to his two-way game. He's alert defensively and is almost always in the right spot to cut off an offensive chance.

The former third-round pick (81st overall) of the Panthers in 2019 is averaging 8:38 of ice time and is winning 41.5 percent of his faceoffs, a number expected to improve due to his career average of 49.1. 

The injury list continues to grow for the Panthers, as Schwindt joins a list consisting of Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Dmitry Kulikov, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich and Eetu Luostarinen. 

The Panthers will likely need to call up a forward from the Charlotte Checkers prior to their matchup against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. 

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