Ice Chips: Barkov (ACL) joins Panthers for practice

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

Florida Panthers

Captain Aleksander Barkov took part in practice with the team for the first time this season as he continues to recover for both a torn ACL and MCL.

Barkov skated before the session in a yellow no-contact jersey and remained on the ice as his teammates arrived.

“He’s out of that bubble wrap. He can move around,” Head coach Paul Maurice said of his team’s captain after the skate. “If somebody bumps into him, nobody is going to - well, I’m going to catch my breath - but nobody else will. He’ll be fine. It’s fun having him out there.”

The 30-year-old centre was initially given a return timeline of seven-to-nine months following knee surgery in September and it remains in question as to whether he will play at all this season.

The Panthers are on track to miss the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup in each of the past two years and reaching the Final in each of the past three. Florida is 11 points back of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot with one more game played.

The Panthers will host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Winger Sam Reinhart will miss the game, but is expected to play Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, head coach Paul Maurice said.

Daniil Tarasov will start in net against Detroit.

Winnipeg Jets

Head coach Scott Arniel announced several injury updates Tuesday, stating Neal Pionk and Collin Miller are “still a aways away” among them.

Forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter skated Tuesday, but also are not close to a return.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs recalled forward Bo Groulx from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Tuesday.

Head coach Craig Berube said later he hadn’t decided whether Groulx will make his Maple Leafs debut on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens.

Groulx has 27 goals and 50 points in 54 games with the Marlies this season.

The 26-year-old was a second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2018 and last played in the NHL with the Ducks during the 2023-24 season, posting two assists in 45 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins announced several injury updates on Tuesday, with the most significant being Justin Brazeau being ruled week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Defenceman Sam Girard and forward Kevin Hayes are both day-to-day with upper-body injuries. Ryan Graves missed the team’s gameday skate, but is available to play Tuesday.

Brazeau is enjoying the best season of his career with 16 goals and 30 points through 48 games.

Captain Sidney Crosby was on the ice for the team’s morning skate as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury suffered with Team Canada at the Olympics.

Crosby resumed skating with the team late last week.

The 38-year-old Crosby has 27 goals and 59 points in 56 games this season, on pace to top the point-per-game mark for the 21st straight year since entering the league. He had two goals and six points in four games with Canada at Milano Cortina 2026 before the injury.

Dallas Stars

Forward Mikko Rantanen skated for the first time since being injured at the Olympics on Monday and head coach Glen Gulutzan said the hope is he can return in the sometime in the two-to-three weeks.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy was the first goaltender off the ice during the team’s gameday skate and is in line to start against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday.

The Lightning will be without defencemen Erik Cernak (injury) and Darren Raddysh (personal) against Columbus.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens will host the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Mike Matheson skated with Noah Dobson in line rushes during Tuesday’s skate, while Lane Hutson was on the right side of a paring with Kaiden Guhle.

The team is expected to use the following lines against the Maple Leafs:

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky 

Newhook-Kapanen-Demidov 

Bolduc-Evans-Dach 

Anderson-Danault-Gallagher

Matheson-Dobson

Guhle-Hutson

Xhekaj-Carrier

Dobes