Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov won't return to Thursday's clash against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an upper-body injury, the team announced.
Barkov sustained the ailment after taking an elbow up high from Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez during the first period. The blue-liner went to sweep the puck around the boards behind Vegas' net and caught Barkov in the face as the center went to complete his check.
Here's the elbow that sent Barkov to the room. pic.twitter.com/9DekaAe2pp
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) January 5, 2024
Barkov played just under five minutes before departing the contest.
The Panthers also announced forward Evan Rodrigues won't return to the game because of a lower-body injury.
Barkov ranked second on the Panthers with 39 points (11 goals, 28 assists) in 34 outings heading into Thursday's Stanley Cup Final rematch.
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