The Florida Panthers may get injured captain Aleksander Barkov back a bit quicker than expected. And if nothing else, he’s still on track to play when the Stanley Cup champions go to his native Finland for a pair of games next month.

Aleksander Barkov was on the ice getting some work in before Panthers morning skate ahead of a date with the Canucks on Thursday.

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.

Entering Saturday's contents against the Buffalo Sabres, which the Panthers ended up losing 5-2, head coach Paul Maurice provided a relatively positive, albeit fuzzy, update on Barkov's injury.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said that star center Aleksander Barkov will be out weeks due to the lower-body injury he suffered in Florida’s loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Aleksander Barkov will be out 2-3 weeks for the Florida Panthers because of a lower-body injury.

Captain Aleksander Barkov suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury following a collision with Tim Stutzle during a defensive play in the game’s final minutes and with only 70 seconds left to play. Unable to put any weight on his right leg, Barkov needed help getting off the ice, leading to concerns about the severity of his injury.

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.