FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers had some new faces on the ice Monday morning but lost one of their top players to injury before kicking off a six-game road trip.
Defenseman Seth Jones is going to miss a few weeks after taking a puck off the collarbone area during the Winter Classic last Friday.
“We expect him back before the Olympic break,” Paul Maurice said before the team took off for Toronto where they will play tonight.
Florida did have better news when it came to some of their long-term injuries.
Both Cole Schwindt (broken arm) and Jonah Gadjovich (upper body) were on the ice for Monday’s practice.
Gadjovich was in a non-contact jersey but Schwindt was not.
Maurice said Schwindt could be back in the lineup the “opening block’’ of the road trip.
What Maurice means by that is the Panthers will be returning home for a couple of days in the middle of this trip.
After playing their fourth game Monday in Buffalo, the Panthers will fly back to Fort Lauderdale and will practice at the IcePlex before the trip resumes Thursday in Raleigh, N.C.
Matthew Tkachuk, Maurice said, could also return during that first four game block.
The Panthers play Toronto tonight, then hit up Montreal (Thursday), Ottawa (Saturday), and Buffalo (Monday).
It is a quite manageable trip especially considering the team will be back in the comforts of South Florida in a week.
But this is a Panthers team that better get accustomed to playing away from home.
Of Florida’s 41 games thus far, only 15 have been on the road.
That means only 15 of the final 41 games this season will be at home.
ON DECK: GAME No. 42
FLORIDA PANTHERS at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
National TV: TNT/truTV
National Streaming: HBO Max
Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
Season Series (Leafs Lead 1-0) — At Florida: Leafs 4, Panthers 1 (Dec. 2); Feb . 26. At Toronto: Tuesday; April 11
Last Regular Season: Panthers Won 3-1
All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 52-40-7, 7 ties
Last Postseason: Florida d. Toronto 4-3
All-time Postseason (Panthers Lead 2-0): Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS); Panthers d. Toronto 4-3 (2025 ECS)
Up Next: Thursday at Montreal Canadiens, 7
