Aleksander Barkov helped off the ice by teammates – Image Source: Getty

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov suffered an ankle injury during Thursday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Barkov was injured in a collision with Senators forward Tim Stutzle as Stutzle scored an empty-net goal to seal Ottawa’s 3-1 victory.

Barkov was closely following Stutzle and ended up tangled with him, resulting in a collision with the boards near the Florida net with a feet-first impact. Barkov left the ice with assistance from teammates

The extent of Barkovs injury remains unclear at the moment, but Dr.Harjas Grewal shared his perspective on the matter via X.

“No great angle so will just say that the common injuries with players sliding feet first into the boards is a broken ankle and/or high ankle sprain,” Dr. Grewal tweeted.

“Broken ankle typically 12+ weeks out. High ankle sprain depends on grade but often week-to-week. Hopefully good news for Barkov.”

A broken ankle would likely end Barkov’s season and keep him out for at least three months. A high ankle sprain could also be a multiple-week injury, depending on the severity.

The Panthers will likely provide an update on Aleksander Barkov’s status sometime on Friday after further evaluation, as reported by Panthers coach Paul Maurice.

Fans react to Dr. Harjas Grewal’s speculation on Aleksander Barkov’s injury

Fans have reacted strongly to speculation by Dr. Harjas Grewal about the injury to star center Aleksander Barkov.

On social media, many questioned Dr. Grewal’s assessment, with one fan asking,

“Why do you always make the most severe diagnosis doc?”

Another wrote:

“I think it might have been his knee doc.”

Dr. Harjas Grewal replied to the tweet:

“Honestly can’t see anything between the stanchion and similar colored gear and skates. Just sharing what we’ve seen diagnosed before. Memory may be failing me but can’t remember last knee injury with feet first into boards,” he said on X.

Here are some fan reactions:

“Barkov leaving the ice is worrying—hope he’s alright after that hit!,” one fan wrote on X.

“I wish Stutz had stayed and checked him out to make sure he’s ok,” another fan wrote.

“Damn that does not look good hopefully he will be okay,” a user commented.

Overall, the speculation sparked an intense debate among Panthers fans who are anxiously awaiting further updates on their star player’s knee and hoping for a swift recovery.