The loss of a team's finest player is never pleasant, but the Florida Panthers are relieved Wednesday morning.
Captain Aleksander Barkov won't need surgery after suffering a lower-body injury on Tuesday, according to head coach Andrew Brunnette.
«Best-case scenario,» Brunnette told Florida Hockey Now.com's George Richards.
Barkov was hurt in a 2nd period knee-on-knee collision with Islanders defenceman Scott Mayfield. Barkov had to be carried off the ice, and Mayfield was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct.