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Positive update given on Florida Panthers captain after massive injury scare

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Oct 11, 2024 5:16 PM ET

Aleksander Barkov went down in a very scary situation in the Florida Panthers second game of the year, and now there's been a very positive update on him.

The Florida Panthers made history a season ago when they won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and while there's plenty of people to credit, none deserve more than captain Aleksander Barkov who led the way. The team started this new season with the same fire that drove them to that success last year, but unfortunately in game two, the team saw Barkov go down with what appeared to be a brutal injury.

During the loss to the Ottawa Senators, Barkov crashed hard into the boards feet first and had to be helped off the ice, with all Panthers fans around the world collectively holding their breath. Fortunately, there's some great news today, as it has been confirmed that Barkov was seen leaving the arena under his own power after the game.

On top of that, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has confirmed that the Panthers have avoided disaster, revealing that he's hearing it is just a sprain and would leave Barkov week-to-week, avoiding a significant injury that would keep him out for a long period of time.

With a very deep forward group, the Panthers are well set up to handle the injury and continue thriving without Barkov in the lineup, but if this was a significant injury that kept him out long-term, it would be another story entirely. Now, the team will need to deal with the pressure of being the reigning Stanley Cup Champions without their captain, but with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett leading the way up front, optimism remains high for this team.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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