A.J. Greer now plays for the Ducks, but his thoughts went straight to his former Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov this week.
Greer sent positive vibes his old captain's way after the latest knee injury, and the emotion behind it was obvious.
Barkov is on injured reserve with a knee injury and is expected out until at least Oct. 27.
It's a brutal stretch for Florida, whose captain carries a $10,000,000 cap hit and sits at the heart of everything the Panthers do.
Greer, 29, is now in Anaheim and picked up an assist in the Ducks' 4-3 opening win in Vegas. He carries a $4,250,000 cap hit.
In the clip, Greer takes a moment to speak directly to Barkov, and you can hear how much his former captain still means to him.
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Barkov's leadership still reaches across the league
Moments like this say a lot about the room Barkov built in Florida. Players don't send that kind of message to a captain they didn't respect.
The Panthers are also without Gustav Forsling, day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and Aaron Ekblad, who stepped away for a personal family matter.
This was a classy moment from Greer. In a sport built on rivalries, a former teammate checking in on an injured captain is hockey culture at its best.
It's like a former coworker calling the minute they hear you're in the hospital. You don't forget who picked up the phone.
Paul Maurice's group visits Los Angeles on Tuesday. Anaheim hosts Edmonton on Wednesday.
Barkov has plenty of people pulling for him, including some wearing different sweaters now. The Panthers just have to survive the weeks until he's back.
Can the Panthers survive until Aleksander Barkov returns from injury?
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