Hockey

Injury to Aleksander Barkov: the Canadiens open up in the Atlantic
Félix Forget
Injury to Aleksander Barkov: the Canadiens open up in the Atlantic
Credit: Screenshot/Twitter

This morning, we got some big news from Florida: Aleksander Barkov's season may already be over. The Panthers' captain has undergone surgery on his right knee… and we're (really) fearing the worst.It hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but there's no smoke without fire.That said, one thing is clear: Barkov will miss at least a large part of the season. For the Panthers, this is a (very) hard blow… especially as the club will also be without Matthew Tkachuk for the first few months of the season. Suddenly, then, we realize that the Atlantic is starting to open up… and that there may be a spot up for grabs for the Canadiens.Because however good the club is at facing adversity, we're talking about two big losses.

We saw it last year: when Tkachuk was absent, the Panthers struggled to win games consistently. If Barkov is out as well, it's logical to think that the Panthers could be in for a tough start to the season.Unless the guys rally to play for their captain… or get some reinforcements from the outside.And all of a sudden, you have to wonder if Barkov's injury, should it keep him out for the whole year (including the playoffs), opens the door to the arrival of a big name in Florida: Sidney Crosby.

Because salary-wise, it would work: Barkov's $10m could be placed on the long-term injured list, opening the door to adding Crosby's $8.7m to the payroll.

But what's clear is that none of this is likely to happen right at the start of the season. It's safe to assume that the Panthers will be knocking on Jack Roslovic's door as a transition option… and it's possible that despite everything, the club won't have a great start to the season.If the Canadiens are able, unlike last year, to have a big start to the campaign, they'll give themselves a chance of finishing in the top-3 of their division.

And let's not forget that, in a worst-case scenario in Florida, the club has no interest in trying to get Gavin McKenna: the Panthers' first-round pick belongs to the Blackhawks and is unprotected.

Expect the Panthers to be aggressive, then… although it could come later in the year.

'Overtime'

– Today's NHL toss-ups.

–

– Interesting.

– I love it.

– Still!

– Where will he play next year?

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