Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov to miss 6-8 weeks due to injury

<p>The Florida Panthers provided an update on the condition of captain Aleksander Barkov, who is expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a lower-body injury. Barkov missed all of last season with a knee injury and sustained this new injury during the team's second game of the season.</p><p>Head coach Paul Maurice stated, "He’s scheduled to be out 6–8 weeks, non-surgical rehab, and that’s our best window. Could be a little less, could be a little more, but we think 6-8 is the right rehab time." The injury occurred when Barkov fell awkwardly along the boards during Florida's overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on October 1.</p><p>Barkov's frustration was evident as he left the ice immediately after the incident. The Panthers are hopeful that he will return to the lineup before Christmas, potentially as early as Thanksgiving.</p><p>In addition to Barkov, defenseman Aaron Ekblad is listed as day-to-day, and winger Jonah Gadjovich is on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Veteran forward Brad Marchand returned to action on Sunday after suffering an injury last March and scored in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks.</p><p>The Panthers have one win so far this season, which came in their opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.</p>