Sasha Barkov, Brad Marchand Resume Skating, On Track To Return From Injury Next Month

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice provided an update on Thursday for a couple of injured forwards.

The Panthers have been without captain Sasha Barkov since the second game of the season, when he went down with a lower-body injury during a road defeat to the San Jose Sharks.

Like Barkov, fellow key forward Brad Marchand only played in a pair of games season before suffering a lower-body injury.

Marchand was expected to miss some time at the start of the season while recovering from summer surgery, but he was deemed ready to go for Florida’s fourth game on the schedule, just a few days after Barkov went down.

Unfortunately, Marchand was hurt during Florida’s loss in Anaheim, and neither have been back for a game since.

Both suffered similar injuries and were given similar timelines, and on Thursday, Maurice gave us our first update regarding when either of the elite forwards might be able to make their respective returns.

According to Maruice, both men returned to the ice on Wednesday and working their way toward being healthy enough to return.

“Back on the ice,” Maurice said. “Yesterday was their first time, so they are at schedule, and that’s a positive.”

Marchand is on a slightly faster track than Barkov and could be back a few days sooner, but both are expected to be back in the lineup in the next several weeks.

“Both felt good,” Maurice said. “I think its four weeks for Sasha and probably three weeks for Brad from the day of injury, so I think were still on that six-to-eight (week) concept, but we’re happy with where they’re at.”

Now that both men are back on the ice, they will remain with the team for all day-to-day activities and travel when the Panthers return to the road next week.

“Once they hit the ice they’ll travel with us exclusively, so they’re in here every day,” Maurice said. “They have an injury skate before (we practice), and then at some point they’ll move into the main group.”

Regarding Florida’s other injured players, Maurice said goaltender Jacob Markstrom remains on schedule to return from an injury suffered last week in practice.

He was initially given a timeframe of between 10 days and two weeks, and it sounds like he’s trending toward the lighter side of that estimate.

“He skated today,” said Maruice. “I think we said 10 to 14 days, I think we’re optimistic that it’s closer to the 10 than 14, but it’ll all be feel on the ice for him, but he’s not far off.”

As for forward Jonah Gadjovich, Maurice said he didn’t have any major updates while Gadjo continues to work his way back.

“Nothing new, other than the last I’d heard, he was improving,” Maurice said. “So that’s a positive.”

The Panthers will be back in action on Friday when they kick off a three-game homestand against the Winnipeg Jets at Amerant Bank Arena.

Face off from Sunrise is set for 7 p.m.

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Looking Ahead: Florida Panthers Need To Take Advantage Of Lighter NHL Schedule

After Troubling Start To Season, Florida Panthers No Longer Having Issues Scoring Early In Games

Carter Verhaeghe, Tkachuk Brothers Power Panthers Past Winnipeg

'Matthew Is Better This Year Than He's Ever Been': Panthers' Coach On Matthew Tkachuk's Playmaking Talent

Do The Florida Panthers Have A Discipline Issue?

Vilmanis, Tkachuk Score As Panthers Bounce Back, Earning Tough Victory In Chicago