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Panthers Issue Unclear Injury Update on First-Line Forward Before Game 5

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated May 13, 2025 7:43 AM ET

The Florida Panthers evened their second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night, but may have lost a key member of the team.

Two of the three top-line forwards in Florida's lineup suffered knocks in Game 4, with team captain Aleksander Barkov getting drilled from behind and Evan Rodrigues getting knocked by former teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

While Barkov suffered the hit at the very end of the game and received a positive update after it was over, Rodrigues exited Game 4 and did not return.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice was able to issue a cautious but optimistic update on Barkov on Sunday.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice says Evan Rodrigues is still being evaluated:

"He's not ruled out, not cleared to play"

Left Game 4 after hit from Oliver Ekman-Larsson; initially called a major for interference, but reduced to a minor upon review @TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 12, 2025

"I think he’ll be all right,” Maurice said.

Maurice, however, didn't have a full assessment of Rodrigues' status after the 2-0 win, saying only that the forward would need to be re-evaluated Monday.

One day later, Maurice's update remained unclear, if not straight contradicting.

“He’s not ruled out [for Game 5], but not cleared to play,” Maurice said.

Rodrigues was shaken up in the third period following an off-puck collision with his former teammate in a hit that he wasn't aware was coming.

Though Ekman-Larsson was initially assessed a major penalty for boarding, the call was reduced to a minor.

Rodrigues, who has three assists in nine games this postseason, has become a reliable presence in Florida’s forward corps.

The left winger, 31, ranked seventh in hits among Panthers throughout the regular season, appearing in all 82 games and logging 15:13 of time on ice per game.

The Maple Leafs and the Panthers hit the ice for Game 5 at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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