BUFFALO – Aleksander Barkov is considered week to week with a lower-body injury, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice announced after morning skate at KeyBank Center on Saturday.
While he could return even sooner, the Panthers are feeling confident that he won't miss either of the team's two games against the Dallas Stars at the 2024 Global Series in Finland on Nov. 1 and 2.
“We think two to three weeks,” Maurice said of Barkov’s recovery timeline. “We think that’s probably the right window on him. He’s a strong healer. He’s just a big powerful man, puts a lot of torque on his joints. We’re optimistic, I think very optimistic, that he’ll play in Finland.”
Barkov sustained the injury with 1:10 left in the third period of Tuesday’s 3-1 loss in Ottawa.
Trying to prevent an empty-net goal and keep the game alive for the Panthers, the captain got tied up with Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle and went crashing into the end boards feet-first at full speed.
Stutzle scored and remain unscathed, while Barkov laid on the ice grimacing in pain.
Favoring his right leg, he had to be helped off the ice by teammates.
The league’s reigning Selke Trophy winner, Barkov tallied 80 points (23 goals, 57 assists) in 73 games last season, while also posting 61 takeaways and winning 57.3% of his faceoffs.
During the run to last year's Stanley Cup, he was tied for first on the Panthers with 22 points in the playoffs.
With Barkov unavailable, rookie Patrick Giles was recalled from the AHL on Friday.
Giles, 23, is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Sabres.
“Next man up,” forward Evan Rodrigues said. “We started off last year missing key players. You never want to lose anybody, but we’ll have a next-man-up mentality, and everyone will have to step up their game.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Barkov's status as his rehab progresses.
