The most recent NHL injury report looks all right for some stars like the Florida Panthers Aleksander Barkov, but does not sound too good for other stars like the Ottawa Senators Linus Ullmark. The Canadiens were also victims of some unfortunate news.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings did not get encouraging news on Tuesday. All of that and more in this injury update ahead of a flurry of games on the NHL schedule.
Aleksander Barkov Finally Has Real Timeline
The Florida Panthers and captain Aleksander Barkov will finally know how long he’ll be on the NHL injury report, by getting clarity on the ailment he sustained last week during a game against the San Jose Sharks.
The team announced that Barkov will miss six to eight weeks with his lower-body injury. The important part here is that this is now the Panthers’ own medical organizational estimate, rather than Monday’s 10 to 12-week report that head coach Paul Maurice explicitly rejected.
Maurice rejected the speculation outright, claiming that no one outside the medical staff had any real idea about what was going on with their captain.
The coach said Barkov will undergo non-surgical rehabilitation, with six to eight weeks considered the team’s best window, though it could be somewhat shorter or longer.
That’s the key here. The timeline could be longer, depending on how things go. So, there is a chance that the Panthers could see Barkov on the NHL injury report longer than they would like.
Canadiens Demidov lands on NHL Injury Report
Another major development is Montreal Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov landing on the shelf.
Montreal confirmed Demidov will miss two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. He played all 82 games last season and was a Calder Trophy finalist, so this isn’t just another bottom-six injury.
Demidov has been a crucial part of the Habs’ offensive game. So, his landing on the NHL injury report is something that the organization will be watching closely as they get through the first month of the season.
Linus Ullmark Hits the Shelf for Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators got a bit of bad news during their game on Monday night against the Boston Bruins. While the Senators got the win 4-1, they lost starting goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Ullmark tweaked something during his collision with J.J. Peterka on Monday and didn’t return for the third period. Head coach Travis Green described the decision as precautionary, but Ottawa has now listed him with an undisclosed injury, and he is day-to-day. Samuel Ersson is starting Tuesday against Detroit.
So far, it’s not something that should be of major consequence. The Senators called up Jonas Johansson on Tuesday to back up Ersson.
Red Wings Also Got Bad News on NHL Injury Report
The Detroit Red Wings also got some bad news on the NHL injury report.
The team announced that forwards Mason Appleton and Marco Kasper are week-to-week. The two forwards join J.T. Compher and Jacob Bernard-Docker on the shelf.
The news has kind of fallen through the cracks amid Dylan Larkin’s season debut on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.
This recent rash of injuries will be an early test of Detroit’s organizational depth.
NHL Injury Report: Barkov Timeline, Sens Lose Ullmark, Demidov