Aleksander Barkov Helped Off the Ice at Practice in Concerning Update for Maple Leafs Rival

Barkov was taken off the ice by trainers after falling during a puck battle with Panthers defenseman Nikko Mikkola, in which Barkov fell awkwardly to the ground with Mikkola over his body, seemingly putting pressure on the Florida captain.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said that Barkov was going to be looked at, with it too soon to provide any update on his potential status and for his health going forward.

The injury takes out the Panthers captain and star center, and is a massive loss for Florida as they risk starting the season without their leader in their quest to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.

The injury to Barkov is a major blow to the Florida Panthers if he is out for an extended period of time, and one that could tip the scales in both the Atlantic Division and in the Eastern Conference for superiority.

Luckily for the Panthers that they still have depth down the middle with Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell as options, but lose one of the best two-way forwards in the league in Barkov.

Florida to their benefit still has a strong offensive group that can somewhat overcome the loss of one of their top players if he is indeed out for an extended period of time, but it would be another major blow to the Panthers already hurting.

The Panthers have already been dealt one major blow as star winger Matthew Tkachuk has been ruled out long-term with a lower-body injury, with it possible he may not return to Florida's lineup until close to the New Year.

The Florida Panthers may be forced to navigate a start to their season without their top two forwards, and it could be a difficult challenge to overcome.

The absences lead to the potential that other teams could leapfrog them in the standings to where even with both players back may keep them from being on top of the Conference and Division.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are dealing with their own injury question as star forward William Nylander was absent from practice today, but head coach Craig Berube described Nylander as just «banged up», signaling a lack of a serious issue.

Some other Atlantic teams have injury questions, including the Ottawa Senators and Drake Batherson, in which Travis Green anticipates the winger out for approximately two weeks, setting Batherson back for the regular season.

The Buffalo Sabres are without forward Alex Tuch, an injury that is described as minor, but has him remaining out. None of those injuries, however, seem to impact the team long-term, leaving Florida the one team with a major question on the injury front.

While the Florida Panthers wait to hear back on the prognosis for Barkov, the team will be holding their breath and looking to avoid a second major injury to their top-six, and another key forward out of the lineup for an extended period of time.