Panthers Injury Update: Barkov, Marchand Back Skating

The Florida Panthers are getting ready for a rematch with the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. They beat Winnipeg 5-1 on Tuesday night. They’ve played most of October without captain Aleksander Barkov and forward Brad Marchand. Panthers Goalie Jacob Markstrom has also been sidelined. Today brought a Panthers injury update from head coach Paul Maurice. Maurice confirmed said that Marchand was tentatively three weeks out while Barkov is four weeks out.

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Barkov Back on the Ice

Barkov was hurt on October 1st in a 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. It was only the second game of the season. The 31-year-old missed all of last season. It was first reported at the time that he had torn his ACL and needed knee surgery.

Florida placed Barkov on long-term injured reserve and scheduled a doctor’s visit. In the days following the injury, head coach Paul Maurice said the team continued to evaluate Barkov’s condition and had not established a return date. Reports later indicated that the Panthers expected their captain to miss six to eight weeks but would not need surgery.

Barkov said he wants to be back as soon as he can. Six to eight weeks from the early-October diagnosis runs from mid-November into early December. The four weeks target from Maurice points to the earlier end of that range.

Marchand Tracking Toward November

Marchand went down five days after Barkov. He was holding his left knee. It was reported that the Panthers feared something worse. The team called the eventual diagnosis good news.

Maurice announced on October 9th that Marchand would miss six weeks with a lower-body injury. He broke it down as three weeks to get back on the ice, then three more weeks of rehab.

Getting back on the ice now keeps Marchand on that schedule. Six weeks from the 9th points to the second half of November.

Markstrom’s Status in Goal

Markstrom was hurt at practice after taking a puck off his shoulder. It was reported on October 20th that he would be out ten to 14 days.

Florida recalled goaltender Cooper Black from Charlotte to back up Akira Schmid while Markstrom is out. A ten to 14 day window from the 20 puts Markstrom’s possible return around the start of November.

Next Up

The Panthers turn their attention to Winnipeg looking to pick up their third straight win. Barkov and Marchand will keep building toward a return over the coming weeks. It’ll be interesting to see which of the three gets back first, and how Maurice slots his captain and Marchand back into the lineup once they’re cleared.