The Florida Panthers took to the ice for a practice following a big 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, providing injury updates on two depth forwards.
Jonah Gadjovich returned to the ice for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on Oct. 25. It’s an essential landmark in Gadjovich’s return process after undergoing surgery. Although he skated with the team, he did so in a non-contact jersey, indicating that a return is still a ways away.
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Schwindt has been skating in a non-contact jersey for about a week now, but he was able to ditch it and begin skating with the team in complete contact. His return is imminent, and we could see him slide back into 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 Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. Coach Paul Maurice didn’t specify if or when they might return, but it’s an encouraging sign to see them join the team on the road.
Recently, Maurice provided updates on Gadjovich and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. With Gadjovich, Maurice mentioned that they aren’t expecting their 27-year-old winger to return until after the Olympic break. With Kulikov, they were hoping to get him back by mid-March.
The Panthers will spend most of January on the road, and they’ll need as many healthy players as they can get.
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