Aleksander Barkov receives optimistic news following scary injury

He ended up going feet first into the boards as Stutzle scored on the empty net. While both players put in a great effort for the puck, it came at the expense of Barkov and his health. He was taken off the ice with the help of his teammates and overall, it elicited a whole lot of fear in the hearts and minds of Panthers fans.

Today, there have been a couple of big updates when it comes to Barkov. The first update came on 32 Thoughts where it was revealed that Barkov left the arena without any help. No crutches or walking boot. Of course, this was the first good sign. It was then revealed by David Pagnotta that it is believed Barkov suffered a bad sprain.

Week-to-week isn't exactly a good thing but it is far from the worst-case scenario. Had he broken his ankle or something like that, he could have been out for a couple of months. Now, we might see Barkov back as early as the end of October or perhaps even before then. Either way, Panthers fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

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