The updates on Aleksander Barkov are coming in fast and furious on Saturday, with several insiders posting news about his injury scare and how long the Florida Panthers superstar is expected to be out of action. Is it short-term? Is it long-term? Long enough that the Panthers will try to make a trade?
Barkov Goes on LTIR
Tim Reynolds posted, “Panthers have placed Aleksander Barkov on LTIR. They’re still not sure of severity.” At the very least, this means Barkov will be out for at least 10 games or 24 days, which is the requirement to be placed on LTIR.
Pierre LeBrun responded: “Panthers head coach Paul Maurice will update Barkov injury after the team’s 1 pm PT practice. But I don’t think Maurice will have a specific timeline to provide. Barkov to be evaluated further. But obviously, LTIR isn’t good.”
But is it season-ending? Maybe not.
Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports, “Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov continues to be evaluated this weekend, but there is optimism his injury is not season-ending, per sources.”
Now What For the Panthers?
It’s a bit of a sticky spot for Florida to be in now. This is the second season in a row where Barkov might have an injury that takes him out most, if not all, of the year. However, if it’s not the latter, the Panthers have to make do with their current roster because adding a player to replace Barkov means salary cap complications. The Panthers need to keep enough space to bring Barkov back during the season. Anything less than a season-ending injury means no new, higher-priced additions.
If the injury is lengthy, which it sounds like might be the case, it’s awful news for Barkov and the Panthers. They were Stanley Cup contenders with him in the lineup. Last season proved how much they miss him when he’s gone. Florida failed to make the playoffs last season.
Will The Panthers Make a Move?
In one respect, the hope isn’t that this is long-term. In another, if it is, Florida might be better off if Barkov is out for the year. Marco D’Amico writes, “If the Florida Panthers received the worst-case scenario news on Sasha Barkov, you have to wonder if they bite the bullet and make an aggressive play for Dylan Larkin. Can’t see Bill Zito chancing another year of their core’s Cup contention window.”
That in itself creates a problem for Florida. Detroit has consistently said they want a young center back in any trade that includes Larkin. The Panthers obviously don’t want to give up a key piece of their roster, and the most likely name is Anton Lundell.
Even if Detroit lowers the ask or is open to other options, Florida won’t be the only team in the mix. The Minnesota Wild want Larkin too, and the only reason that deal hasn’t gotten done is that they too aren’t willing to part with a key roster player. They don’t want to move sideways; they want to improve the roster.
Barkov Injury Update Leaves Panthers In a Sticky Spot