The Florida Panthers are fighting for the Atlantic Division crown at this point in the season. However, they are dealing with some injury issues. Matthew Tkachuk is out for the rest of the regular season. Trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand is also dealing with an injury from before his move south. And now head coach Paul Maurice confirmed an injury to defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.
Kulikov suffered an injury on Sunday night when the Panthers lost to the New York Islanders. The veteran defenseman has stepped into a larger role following the long-term suspension of Aaron Ekblad. Kulikov will miss time for the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, the silver lining is that he is expected back before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “We’ll list him as week to week, upper body,” Maurice told the team’s official website on Wednesday.
Kulikov, who is a former first-round pick of the Panthers, re-joined the team in 2023. He helped Florida make the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. Kulikov’s solid play down the lineup helped Florida win its first Stanley Cup in franchise history in seven games over the Oilers.
Panthers bank on familiarity to replace Dmitry Kulikov
The Panthers’ defense has taken some major hits lately. As mentioned, Ekblad was suspended for 20 games by the NHL for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy. This, along with Kulikov’s injury, has created a need for reinforcement on Florida’s blueline.
To replace Kulikov, the Panthers are going with a familiar face. The team recalled defenseman Tobias Bjornfort on Wednesday from AHL Charlotte. Bjornfort was on Florida’s expanded postseason roster in 2024 when they won the Stanley Cup. Maurice believes this familiarity could help the team’s on-ice performance despite all of the changes.
“It’s nice to have a guy you can bring up that everybody knows,” Maurice told the official Panthers website. “When he walks into the room and gets on the plane, this is normal for him. His games for us have been very good. He falls in that category of a guy that when you send him down you feel bad because he hasn’t done anything on the ice [to deserve it].”
The Panthers are leading the Atlantic Division at this time. However, they have two fierce competitors breathing down their neck. Florida has a two-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot. The Panthers take the ice next on Thursday night when they travel to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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