Aleksander Barkov & the Panthers can breathe a sigh of relief

Unfortunately, Barkov found himself in a pretty gnarly situation a couple of nights ago against the Ottawa Senators. Barkov was going after a loose puck in his own zone with the net empty. This was against Tim Stutzle, who ultimately won the race and scored, sealing the deal for the Senators. However, it came at a cost as Barkov went down hard and ultimately had to be helped off of the ice by his teammates.

Since the injury, Barkov has been getting an array of tests to make sure that he won't have to miss a lot of time. Preliminary reports said he would be week-to-week. Now, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is confirming that x-rays show no fractures for Barkov.

This is simply incredible news and we're sure Panthers fans are grateful to hear it. Having said that, Barkov is not out of the clear just yet. He is still going to have to miss some time with what many consider to be just a really bad sprain. Still, it's better than what could have been.

2024-25 will prove to be an interesting season for the Panthers. They are attempting to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. It is not going to be easy, but they certainly have the pieces to go out and do it.

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Source: Elliotte Friedman
Aleksander Barkov injury update following x-rays