The Panthers captain skated Thursday for the first time since leaving a game at Ottawa on Oct. 10 with a lower-body injury and — if all goes well — could return to the Panthers’ lineup sometime on

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Aleksander Barkov skated Thursday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury and could return to the lineup for the Florida Panthers as soon as next week, coach Paul Maurice said.

Panthers injured captain Aleksander Barkov skated Thursday for the first time since leaving a game at Ottawa on Oct. 10 with a lower-body injury, a sign he may be back a bit quicker than expected.

FORT LAUDERDALE – After a four-game road trip, the Florida Panthers are finally back in town and will go head-to-head with the Vancouver Canucks at Amerant Bank on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. Off to a solid start despite some early-season adversity, Florida sits at 3-2-0 in the standings.

Florida will face a Vancouver team hungry for its first win after opening the season with three consecutive defeats

The Vancouver Canucks take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, for the first time this season.