Paul Maurice makes massive announcement regarding Aleksander Barkov

Since that time, the Panthers have been off to a solid start to the NHL season. There is no doubt that they have a fantastic team this year that will probably end up winning a lot of games. Some believe that this Panthers team can even win another Stanley Cup. However, in order to do so, there is no denying that they would probably much rather have their captain completely healthy.

Well, just moments ago, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice confirmed that Barkov is officially back in the Panthers lineup. The Panthers are going up against the Buffalo Sabres tonight, a team that is desperate to get above .500 and prove all of the naysayers wrong.

For the Panthers, it is still very early in the season, and we doubt that they are too worried about how things go for them, moving forward. They know that this is a long season and there will be ups and downs. Having said that, to start the year, the Panthers have built a solid cushion.

Only time will tell whether or not this Panthers team is going to keep it up this year. If one thing is for certain, if they go back to back, then we will need to test the water in South Florida as all of its teams continue to experience success.

Do you believe that Barkov can lead this Florida Panthers team to another Stanley Cup championship? 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.