The Florida Panthers have made a roster move as they prepare to begin a five-game road trip. Last Thursday, Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov suffered an upper-body injury during Florida’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia. Kulikov left the game immediately and did not return, and he has since been placed on Injured Reserve by the team. Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said on Saturday morning that Kulikov and the team were still considering options on how to handle the injury and that a recovery timeline would be forthcoming. While that information has yet to be revealed by the team, they did call up defenseman Toby Bjornfot from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and he will begin the road trip with the Panthers. Bjornfot was initially claimed off waivers by Florida from the Vegas Golden Knights during March of 2024. He played 14 games with the Panthers last season and 50 with AHL Charlotte, racking up three goals and 18 points with the Checkers. Bjornfot, 24, has 134 games of NHL experience under his belt and is well versed in Florida’s defensive systems. He’ll be with the team Monday night when they begin their five-game, nine-day road trip in Philly [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-kick-off-five-game-road-trip-in-philadelphia-against-winless-flyers] against the Flyers. Perhaps after Florida's morning skate, Maurice will have more of an update on Kulikov. Stay tuned. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Panthers kick off five-game road trip in Philadelphia against winless Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-kick-off-five-game-road-trip-in-philadelphia-against-winless-flyers] Panthers sign forward Jonah Gadjovich to 2-year contract extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-sign-forward-jonah-gadjovich-to-2-year-contract-extension] Three Takeaways: Special teams giving Panthers a major boost, as is their depth scoring [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-special-teams-giving-panthers-a-major-boost-as-is-their-depth-scoring] Panthers wrap up perfect season-opening homestand with 6-2 victory over Ottawa [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-wrap-up-perfect-season-opening-homestand-with-6-2-victory-over-ottawa] Panthers pay tribute to former forward Nick Cousins during Senators visit to Sunrise [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/panthers-pay-tribute-to-former-forward-nick-cousins-during-senators-visit-to-sunrise] Photo caption: Sep 19, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (22) works during training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
