Florida Panthers captain, Aleksander Barkov, will be sidelined for the next two to three weeks due to a lower-body injury, according to coach Paul Maurice. However, Maurice remains hopeful that Barkov will be able to make a return in time for the Panthers' upcoming NHL Global Series games against the Dallas Stars on November 1-2 in Tampere, Finland, Barkov's hometown.

The injury occurred during the Panthers' recent game against the Ottawa Senators, where Barkov was injured in the final minutes while trying to prevent a goal. After a collision with Tim Stutzle, Barkov crashed into the end boards and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates due to the pain he was experiencing.

In addition to Barkov's injury, forward Matthew Tkachuk will also be missing the next game against Buffalo due to illness. On a positive note, defenseman Adam Boqvist is set to return to the lineup after missing one game. Boqvist will be wearing protective headgear after being hit in the face by a puck during the season opener against the Boston Bruins.

Despite these setbacks, the Panthers remain optimistic about their upcoming games and are hopeful for a speedy recovery for Barkov. Stay tuned for more updates on the team's roster and performance by subscribing to our newsletter for the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.