Barkov left in the second period of a 3-2 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. He was hit in the side by a slap shot from teammate Keith Yandle, but Rowe said the injury was not to Barkov's ribs and wasn't caused by Yandle's shot.
"A couple of games before that," Rowe said. "He's been fighting through it."
Barkov leads the Panthers with 27 points in 36 games.
To fill Barkov's roster spot, the Panthers recalled forward Greg McKegg from Springfield of the American Hockey League. McKegg, 24, has two assists in 19 games with Florida this season.
The Panthers also loaned forward Kyle Rau to Springfield. Rau, 24, had two goals and one assist in 24 games.
