Florida Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov likely to miss Saturday’s game vs. Rangers due to injury

Barkov, 28, also missed Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators with this injury. Based on Maurice’s comments prior to that game, this has been an ongoing injury issue for the Panthers’ captain, so it’s just been a matter of how the injury is feeling before the game. As a result, Maurice didn’t rule out Barkov possibly making the lineup on Saturday, but mentioned that that will only happen if the trainers tell him otherwise.

Barkov has been producing at his usual level with 18 goals and 48 assists for 66 points in 62 games. Assuming his injury doesn’t keep him out of the lineup any longer, he’s on pace for 79 points, and is set to finish at above a point-per-game for the fourth consecutive season.

Barkov was the second-overall pick for the Panthers in the 2013 NHL Draft, and after making his NHL debut with the team the following season, he’s spent the entirety of his 11-season career in Florida, including six as the captain of the team. He’s also won a couple trophies in his career, winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2018-19 and the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2020-21

Barkov is currently in the second year of an eight-year contract with a $10 million cap hit, one he signed as an extension with the team before the 2021-22 season.

The Panthers will likely continue with Jonah Gadjovich in the lineup in Barkov’s place like they did on Thursday should he not be available to play on Saturday. Gadjovich has two goals and two assists for four points in 35 games this season, as well as one goal in three games in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.

The Panthers currently sit in second in the Atlantic Division with a 45-20-4 record, which is tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the fourth-best record in the league. Florida will look to end their three-game losing streak when they visit the Rangers on Saturday at 8 p.m. EST.