Paul Maurice confirmed Saturday that Aleksander Barkov is on LTIR, and the Florida Panthers captain will miss at least 10 games.
"We know it's going to be 10 [games] anyway, so we'll see what they say Monday," Maurice said, per Jameson Olive.
Barkov will see the team's doctors on Monday, and Alex Baumgartner noted there was no timeline or status update beyond the LTIR placement.
"I'm not the doctor here," Maurice added.
Fair enough, but that sounds like a coach bracing for bad news without saying it out loud.
It's the pilot announcing a slight delay while the crew is still looking under the wing.
How long is 10 games? Florida's next 10 run from Sunday in Anaheim through October 25 in Chicago.
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Monday's doctor visit will decide how long Florida waits
Barkov went down the tunnel after an awkward fall in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss in San Jose.
Dr. Harjas Grewal flagged a possible MCL tear from the video, though that was an outside read rather than a diagnosis.
La Presse described it as a left leg injury.
Barkov carries a $10,000,000 cap hit, the biggest on Florida's roster.
The 31-year-old went without a point in his two games this season.
Sam Reinhart is still looking for his first point, while Eetu Luostarinen has two goals.
Gustav Forsling is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and the Panthers sit at 1-0-1.
Jacob Markstrom posted a shutout in the season opener in Carolina.
Elliotte Friedman also linked Florida to Dylan Larkin this week, naming Luostarinen as a possible piece the Panthers might have to consider.
That 10-game stretch includes an October 21 visit to Ottawa, the first time Brady Tkachuk heads back there in a Florida sweater.
It also includes a Monday-Tuesday back-to-back in Buffalo and Columbus.
The Panthers visit Anaheim on Sunday and Los Angeles on Tuesday, then open at home October 10 against Minnesota.
Monday brings the doctors. Until then, Florida is planning for life without its captain and hoping 10 games is the end of the story.
Will Aleksander Barkov be back after the minimum 10 games?
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