Panthers' Barkov helped off ice after injuring leg

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Florida Panthers skipper Aleksander Barkov needed to beryllium helped disconnected the crystal Thursday aft appearing to prolong an wounded to his close limb during the archetypal afloat grooming campy signifier of the play for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

There was nary contiguous connection connected the grade of the injury. Panthers manager Paul Maurice said Barkov was getting further evaluation.

"I'll person a amended reply for you tomorrow," Maurice said.

The Panthers person been successful campy for a week -- with 1 circular of cuts already, paring what was a 72-person roster down to 55 -- but Thursday was the archetypal time that astir of the veterans were expected to participate.

It was not wide what precisely happened to Barkov. He wasn't capable to skate disconnected nether his ain powerfulness erstwhile helium near the crystal and headed to the team's locker room.

"Not a feline you privation to spot spell down, for sure," Panthers guardant Jesper Boqvist said.

Barkov led the Panthers successful assists past play with 51 and was 2nd successful points with 71 earlier adding six goals and 16 assists successful the playoffs erstwhile Florida won its 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup.

He is Florida's franchise person successful countless categories, including games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52).

The Panthers already expect to beryllium without guardant Matthew Tkachuk for the archetypal respective weeks of the play portion helium recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor musculus and a sports hernia. Now, they are waiting to spot if Barkov volition beryllium retired for immoderate important clip arsenic well.

"Beyond our control, truthful there's nary concern," Maurice said. "If we person to larn to triumph hockey games without bully players, if that's the adversity oregon the trial that we look this year, that's what we're going to do. I'm not a doctor. Whatever the study is, it won't impact however we grip that adjacent day. If he's not successful the lineup connected opening night, oregon if helium misses an accumulation game, oregon he's retired long-term, it's conscionable not going to impact that day. We've got to triumph the hockey game, and we've got to prep for it."