Florida Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis was forced to exit Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres [http://thn.com/buffalo] with an injury. Following the 3-2 loss, coach Paul Maurice was asked to provide an update on Balinskis’ status, but unfortunately we was unable to provide one [https://x.com/JamesonCoop/status/2027582747724669083?s=20]. Balinskis recorded two shots on goal and one block in 8:38 of ice time before exiting the game. The Latvian defender blocked a shot in the first period with his leg and went down the tunnel to the locker room. He returned briefly for the second period but had exited again and did not return with the team for the start of the third period. This season, Balinskis has scored a career-high six goals and added 14 points in 50 games. He’s also averaging a career high in ice time with 16:20, as he’s been asked to step into the Panthers’ top four with Seth Jones injured. Due to the minimal information provided at this time, Balinskis is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and his availability for Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders [http://thn.com/nyislanders] is questionable. Panthers' Cole Schwindt Sustains A Lower-Body Injury; Luke Kunin To Step Into Lineup [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6211e248-340e-4f24-884e-faaef8639199.jpeg] Panthers' Cole Schwindt Sustains A Lower-Body Injury; Luke Kunin To Step Into Lineup Florida Panthers center Cole Schwindt has sustained a lower-body injury that will keep him out long-term. Additionally, Luke Kunin will return to the lineup in place of Schwindt against the Buffalo Sabres. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-cole-schwindt-sustains-a-lower-body-injury-luke-kunin-to-step-into-lineup] The Panthers are set to embark on a four-game road trip starting on Sunday. The Panthers are expected to be joined by all their injured players, except Aleksander Barkov and the recently injured Cole Schwindt. Whether Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jones play is undetermined, but at the very least, they’ll be with the team on the road and join them for practices. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/17e77b75-782e-480a-8bca-104ab991225e.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
