The Florida Panthers may get injured captain Aleksander Barkov back a bit quicker than expected. And if nothing else, he’s still on track to play when the Stanley Cup champions go to his native Finland for a pair of games next month.

The Florida Panthers have been without Aleksander Barkov since the superstar forward crashed into the boards late in a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators last Thursday — but the captain is looking well on his way to a return to the lineup.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that star center Aleksander Barkov will be out weeks due to the lower-body injury he suffered in Florida’s loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Entering Saturday's contents against the Buffalo Sabres, which the Panthers ended up losing 5-2, head coach Paul Maurice provided a relatively positive, albeit fuzzy, update on Barkov's injury.

Florida Panthers captain and top-line center Aleksander Barkov sustained a lower-body injury late in their 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre.

Panthers injured captain Aleksander Barkov skated Thursday for the first time since leaving a game at Ottawa on Oct. 10 with a lower-body injury, a sign he may be back a bit quicker than expected.

Captain Aleksander Barkov suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury following a collision with Tim Stutzle during a defensive play in the game’s final minutes and with only 70 seconds left to play. Unable to put any weight on his right leg, Barkov needed help getting off the ice, leading to concerns about the severity of his injury.

Aleksander Barkov skated Thursday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury and could return to the lineup for the Florida Panthers as soon as next week, coach Paul Maurice said. Barkov has missed three games since slamming into the end boards skates-first after sliding in an attempt to stop an empty-net goal with 1:10 remaining in a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Oct.