Aleksander Barkov receives an official recovery timeline from Paul Maurice

Overall, it was not a great way to begin the season for the Panthers, who are out here looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Given how the injury looked on television, there were plenty of fans out there who felt like this was one of those injuries that could have immediately led to some sort of fracture or prolonged injury.

However, it would appear as though Barkov has avoided all of that. It was revealed on Saturday morning that Barkov only suffered a sprain. Furthermore, Paul Maurice just revealed that Barkov is likely to be out for a total of two to three weeks.

Panthers fans will be hoping that Barkov will, indeed, be back by the end of the month. Of course, this is a very optimistic timeline although it is one that makes a whole lot of sense. We're sure Barkov is working very hard on trying to come back soon. After all, he is a competitor and he is also the captain which means he must lead by example.

Do you believe that Barkov will go on a tear when he returns from injury? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite players and teams.

Source: Paul Maurice
Aleksander Barkov injury timeline