The Florida Panthers took to the ice for practice following a big 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, providing an update on injuries to two depth forwards.
Jonah Gadjovich returned to the ice for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on October 25. This is a vital step in Gadjovich’s return from surgery. Although he skated with the team, he did so in a non-contact jersey, indicating a return is still far away.
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Schwindt has been wearing a non-contact jersey for about a week now, but he managed to ditch it and start skating with the team in full contact. His return is imminent and we could see him return to the Panthers’ fourth-line center role very soon. Schwindt, alongside Matthew Tkachuk appears to be the two injured Panthers players closest to returning.
Schwindt and Tkachuk will accompany the Panthers on their upcoming road trip, which will see them take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo swords, Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. Coach Paul Maurice didn’t say if or when they might return, but it’s an encouraging sign to see them join the team on the road.
Recently, Maurice provides an update on Gadjovich and defender Dmitry Kulikov. With Gadjovich, Maurice said they don’t expect their 27-year-old winger to return before the Olympic break. With Kulikov, they hoped to have him back by mid-March.
The Panthers will spend most of January on the road and they will need as many healthy players as possible.
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