It marks the first time that the 30-year-old centre has been seen on-ice in full gear since suffering the tears during the Panthers’ first practice of training camp. He was subsequently ruled out for seven to nine months.
However, Barkov made his initial return to skating in late December.
“We need to get him out of the gym,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said at the time, per Richards. “And it’s nice for the players to see. … Him being on the ice, he’s not ahead of anything. It’s just the normal, like a Sunday walk.”
The reigning King Clancy and Selke trophies winner put up 71 points (20 goals and 51 assists) through 67 regular-season appearances last season, while logging 22 points (six goals and 16 assists) in Florida’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Florida enters Tuesday’s action four points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 28-20-3 record. However, the Panthers have won three straight and six of their last eight — fuelled by the recent returns of Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand.
Given their track record of playoff success, the Panthers could prove an undesirable matchup for any of the West’s top contenders should they sneak in. A case that would be particularly true if Barkov continues to progress and is able to make a return to game action late this season.