The Florida Panthers have provided the latest update on the injury of a key defenseman, at a challenging time for Paul Maurice’s team in the 2024-25 NHL season with the absences of Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand.



Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers looks on during the second period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on December 10, 2024 in Seattle, Washington.

© Steph Chambers/Getty Images Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers looks on during the second period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on December 10, 2024 in Seattle, Washington.

The Florida Panthers are going through a challenging period due to the injury absences of two of their star players: Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand, who has yet to make his debut after arriving from the Boston Bruins. Both are still recovering as they look ahead to the 2024-25 NHL playoffs.

This moment of the season is testing teams to the fullest. The Panthers are already starting to think about the playoffs, and not only are they receiving updates on Tkachuk and Marchand, but in the last few hours, another key player has been injured.

Tkachuk will be unavailable for the rest of the regular season after suffering a lower-body injury in late February during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Marchand, on the other hand, is considered a week-to-week issue for the Panthers. To make matters worse, defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has now joined the list of absentees.

How long will Kulikov be out?

Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed Kulikov’s injury due to an upper-body issue, as officially announced on the Florida Panthers’ official website. The latest update states that the 34-year-old veteran defenseman will miss an extended period of time but is expected to return before the playoffs begin.

Dmitry Kulikov

Dmitry Kulikov of the Florida Panthers

Kulikov’s injury occurred during the first period of the 4-2 win against the New York Islanders after a collision with Anthony Duclair in the neutral zone. The 2024 Stanley Cup champion veteran was leading the Panthers’ defense with 110 hits and had played an important role on Florida’s second pairing alongside Niko Mikkola.

Who will replace Kulikov?

In a context where the Panthers are without Tkachuk and Marchand, Kulikov’s absence becomes significant, especially with their goal of winning the Atlantic Division. To fill the void left by the veteran defenseman, Florida called up Tobias Bjornfot from the AHL.