Aleksander Barkov’s injury has taken the heat out of one of the louder NHL trade whispers, and Pierre LeBrun says the Dylan Larkin-to-Florida chatter was never all that sturdy to begin with.
The Florida Panthers were viewed by some as a possible landing spot for the Detroit Red Wings center after Barkov went down with a lower-body injury in a game against the San Jose Sharks last week. But LeBrun reported Barkov is expected to miss six to eight weeks and won’t need surgery, a timeline that keeps his contract on the books and makes a major center addition far less realistic in the short term.
"[0:35]...Six to eight weeks and no surgery for Sasha Barkov, which should help quiet that Dylan Larkin trade speculation with Detroit. Now, I can tell you, according to sources, there wasn’t much validity to that trade speculation anyway."
"But having said that, it’s a moot point now because Barkov stays on the books. Obviously, I mean you’re not going to replace his salary; he’ll be back in eight weeks,” LeBrun said on Insider Trading.
Barkov was placed on long-term injured reserve after the injury. With that move and the expected return window, any serious push for a player like Larkin appears to be off the table for now.
Larkin, meanwhile, is back in the Red Wings lineup after missing the start of the season with an upper-body injury. His return came after he requested a trade earlier this offseason, a move that eventually cost him the captaincy and sparked a strong reaction from fans.
“It was good to be out there playing hockey again,” he said via NHL.com. “This was a great team win. We needed to get one for the team, the organization and the Red Wings fans.”
He was met with heavy boos when he first hit the ice Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators, but the mood changed after he scored and added an assist in Detroit’s 5-3 win.
In Other News...
Panthers Suddenly Have Another Injury Concern Fans Feared
Floridas injury picture got a lot murkier against the Kings when Brad Marchand went down with a lower-body injury and had to be helped off the ice. It came in just his second game back after offseason surgery, a reminder that the Panthers were still easing him into the lineup and hoping to get another veteran presence back into the fold without issue.
The timing made the scene even more uneasy for a team already bracing for captain Aleksander Barkov to miss six-to-eight weeks with a lower-body injury. Marchands status now becomes another important storyline for a club trying to hold things together early in the season while key pieces are already on the shelf. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Suddenly Have A Pavel Zacha Question They Cant Ignore
The Bruins attention may be on Pavel Zachas uncertain contract situation and the trade talk swirling around him, but the ripple effects reach well beyond Boston. Around the league, the market is still moving in the same cautious way, with Patrik Laine remaining unsigned as a free agent and David Perron also searching for a new home, while teams continue to weigh cap space, roster fit and timing. For the Florida Panthers, that broader churn matters because every move around a rival can shift the outlook in the Atlantic and alter how quickly teams try to solve their own lineup questions.
Florida already has enough on its plate with Aleksander Barkov expected to miss 6-8 weeks, and now it is also waiting for more clarity on Brad Marchands lower-body injury. The Panthers have not given a diagnosis or a timeline, leaving one of their most important late-season additions in limbo at a time when their margin for error is already thin. Between the uncertainty in Boston and the questions in Sunrise, the divisions picture is changing by the day, and the next update could carry real weight for the Panthers. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Waiver Move Leaves One Entwistle Concern Unanswered
MacKenzie Entwistles status remains part roster move, part health watch for Florida. The Panthers have placed the forward on waivers with the plan of sending him to Charlotte in the AHL, a procedural step that fits a two-way contract and gives the club some flexibility while it sorts out its depth chart.
The bigger question is still the one surrounding Entwistle himself, because he has been working through an undisclosed injury and never got onto the ice for training camp or the preseason. Even with the waiver move now in place, Florida has not offered much public clarity on when he might be ready to help, leaving his immediate role and return timeline a little murky. [Read more 🡒]