Panthers’ Dmitry Kulikov to miss rest of season with broken finger
The injuries continue to pile up for the Florida Panthers, as head coach Paul Maurice announced after Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will miss the rest of the season due to a broken finger.
Kulikov broke his finger tonight. Done for the season, per Maurice. 3rd broken finger in the last few weeks for the Panthers (Rodrigues, Kulikov, Ekblad).
Kulikov left midway through the third period of Tuesday’s loss, although there wasn’t a specific play which made the injury obvious. He finished the game with a shot, a blocked shot, three hits and a penalty in 15:52 of ice time.
Kulikov has had a tough season in the injury department, as he’s already missed 60 games. He had to undergo shoulder surgery after just two games at the start of the season, and missed 58 games as a result. Then after returning in March, he played for a month before missing two games with a broken nose, and played through that injury for the past two games before also getting this broken finger.
The injuries weren’t the only thing that made Kulikov’s season a forgettable one, as when he did play, he failed to produce, going pointless in 19 games. That said, with how little he played, he can hardly be blamed for his on-ice performance.
With Kulikov set to be out for the rest of the season, that means that Uvis Balinskis will likely replace him in the lineup going forward. Balinskis was the lone healthy scratched defenseman for the Panthers on Tuesday, so barring a roster move, he is their only replacement option.
While Kulikov is an important part of the Panthers’ blueline, it won’t be a big blow for the team at this point of the season. Florida is already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, as their 37-37-4 record has them in last place in the Atlantic Division. They’ll look to end a three-game losing streak when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.