Florida Panthers Injury List Grows. Why That Is a Good Thing

The Florida Panthers have a growing injury list, one that coach Paul Maurice methodically went through on Sunday night.

Aside from Matthew Tkachuk, who has been on long-term injured reserve, none of the injuries are serious and, if the playoffs started tomorrow, most would be in the lineup.

Many sound like a little bit of rest will make things better.

Maurice is giving those players all the time they need to be ready for when the games really count.

The Panthers are in a good spot, despite the sky-is-falling reaction on social media to the team’s current five game losing streak.

As much as Maurice hates to lose, he wants to win when the playoffs start in two weeks.

“We have to heal some of these guys,’’ Maurice said after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. “We have to give ourselves a chance to be physically right when [the playoffs] start and our schedule will not allow that. We have five sets of back-to-backs here in the last month of the season. We’re going to get stacked up, and we knew it. We’re not really resting guys — we’re healing them.

“If we think we can make major improvements on anything they are dealing with, we’re going to pull ‘em and keep ‘em out.’’

The Panthers have five games left in this regular season.

Looking at where they stand now, and Maurice’s willingness to sit key players en masse, buckle up: More losses are coming.

The Panthers are back in Sunrise on Tuesday and trying to figure out who will play right now is pure speculation.

Here is Maurice’s update on individual players going into the final homestand of a regular season that is now anticlimactic.

The playoffs are the thing.

Just tell the Panthers when and where they need to be when the playoffs start.

FLORIDA PANTHERS INJURY LIST

• Matthew Tkachuk (LTIR/groin): Tkachuk is skating and working toward a return for the start of the playoffs. We’ll see. The team really won’t be able to give much of an update on his status until the final week of the season.
• Sasha Barkov (upper body): Barkov has missed the past three games after doing something in the second period in Montreal on Tuesday. Maurice said Barkov could return Tuesday against the Maple Leafs.
• Sam Bennett (undisclosed): Maurice said Bennett will likely not play Tuesday after he was pulled from the lineup Sunday.
• Sam Reinhart (undisclosed): This ‘injury’ sounds more like a well deserved few days off. Have you seen Reinhart’s game log? Before Sunday, Reinhart had not missed a game for the Panthers since April 29, 2022 — the 10-2 loss in Montreal which was Florida’s final game of the 2021-22 regular season. Since missing that game, Reinhart played in the next 295 games including 55 in the playoffs. Enjoy the time, Sam.
• Niko Sturm (upper body): Florida’s fourth line center went face-first onto the ice when he and A.J. Greer collided a center ice in Montreal. He should be back this week.
• Dmitry Kulikov (upper body): Out since March 16 after getting wrapped up with Anthony Duclair, Kulikov is expected to be back as early as this week.
• Gus Forsling (undisclosed): Maurice said that Forsling is “something we could look at,’’ perhaps meaning the Panthers have zero problem giving him another game or two off.
• Aaron Ekblad (suspension): Ekblad will be out until Game 3 of Round 1 after being suspended 20 games for failing a PED test.

ON DECK: GAME No. 78

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS at FLORIDA PANTHERS 

• When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• National TV: ESPN
• National Streaming: ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• This Season (Panthers Lead 2-1) — At Florida: Panthers 5, Leafs 1 (Nov.27); Tuesday. At Toronto: Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (March 14); Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2 (April 2).
• Last Season: Tied 2-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 51-39-7, 7 ties
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Maple Leafs 4-1 (2023 ECS)
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.