SUNRISE - Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Thursday that captain Sasha Barkov and forward Brad Marchand are both on schedule in their recoveries from left knee injuries, with Markstrom also closing in on a return after missing four games with a shoulder injury.
Both Barkov and Marchand began skating Wednesday, Maurice confirmed, and their original timelines remain intact. Barkov is expected to miss another month, consistent with the initial 6-8 week estimate. Marchand is roughly three weeks away, in line with his original six-week projection.
“We are happy with where they are at,” Maurice said. “Once they hit the ice, they will travel with us exclusively. They are here every day. They have an injury skate and then, at some point, they will move into the main group.”
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who has been sidelined since taking a puck off his shoulder at practice before the team’s recent four-game road trip, skated again Thursday - the 10th day of an estimated 10-14 day absence. “He is not far off,” Maurice said, according to Florida Hockey Now.
The Panthers host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday at 7 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise. Florida leads the season series 1-0 after a 5-1 win in Winnipeg earlier this week. The all-time regular season series favors the Thrashers/Jets franchise at 58-36-9, with 5 ties. Friday’s game airs locally on Scripps Sports - WSFL 39 in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, WHDT 9 in West Palm Beach, and LAFF 36.3 in Naples and Fort Myers - with radio coverage on WQAM, WBZT 1230-AM in Palm Beach, WCTH 100.3-FM in the Florida Keys, and SiriusXM.
The Panthers’ next home game after Friday is Monday at 7 p.m. against the Detroit Red Wings at Amerant Bank Arena, the debut of the team’s Hometown Remix promotion.