Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov exits Sharks game with apparent leg injury as fans hold breath

The Florida Panthers were able to mount a valiant comeback in San Jose, rallying from three goals down in the second period and scoring two in the third before ultimately falling in overtime.

But while the Cats were able to salvage a point in the Bay Area, they potentially came away with far worse news.

Following an awkward fall in the second period, Panthers captain left the ice with an apparent knee injury, looking visibly frustrated as he made his way down the tunnel and into the locker room.

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Barkov was able to skate and walk on his own, however, there are fears that this could be more severe than initially expected, with one South Florida doctor who is familiar with hockey-related injuries saying on social media an ACL tear could still be possible.

While coach Paul Maurice was unable to confirm the severity of the injury in his postgame press conference, Florida fans are especially anxious, considering an ACL tear kept Barkov out for the entire season last year.

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This injury is thought to be unrelated to last year's, but you can hardly blame anyone for fearing the worst.

A little over a year ago, the Panthers were thought to be the favorites to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals and even potentially become the first NHL team to three-peat since the New York Islanders teams of the early 1980s.

Then, during a routine practice towards the end of training camp, Barkov's leg bent awkwardly as he went down on the ice.

Florida would never recover after that, as a rash of injuries to other star players in addition to their captain saw the Panthers go from Cup favorites to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

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Should Barkov miss an extended period of time, it will be interesting to see how the Cats shift their lineup accordingly.

Players like Sam Bennett or Anton Lundell could slide into his spot as the top line center, while the rumors will swirl whether Florida could play around with their cap space and sign Dylan Larkin from Detroit.

That would likely only be possible if the Panthers were able to put Barkov on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) as a form of salary cap relief.

Larkin has been fairly vocal about his frustrations in the Motor City, and Barkov's $10 million coming off the books could free up the space to make a move for the American center.

Regardless, losing the heart and soul of their Stanley Cup-winning squads is a blow the Panthers can ill afford, so here's hoping the road to recovery is quick for Barkov.