Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss six to eight weeks with a left leg injury, coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday in Los Angeles. Barkov will not need surgery, the Miami Herald, Sportsnet and TSN reported.

"That's our best window," Maurice said. "Could be a little less, could be a little more."

The timeline came after several rounds of tests, including an MRI on Friday and a visit with team doctors in South Florida on Monday, the Miami Herald said. It is shorter than the 10 to 12 weeks that some reports floated on Monday. At the time, Maurice told reporters not to bet on that number.

Barkov was hurt on Oct. 1 in a 4-3 overtime loss at San Jose. His left leg buckled after a battle along the boards with Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse. The Panthers put him on long-term injured reserve on Saturday, which keeps him out for at least 10 games.

The injury stings because Barkov had just come back. He missed all of last season after surgery to repair the ACL and MCL in his right knee, and he had no points in his first two games this year. He captained Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 and has won the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward three times.

San Jose is still waiting on its own captain. Macklin Celebrini, 20, took part in warmups Monday but was scratched minutes before puck drop with a lower-body injury, and the Sharks lost 5-0 at Dallas without him, NHL.com and AP reported. "He's still being evaluated," coach Ryan Warsofsky said. Celebrini stayed with the team and watched from the press box.

Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million extension this summer after ranking fourth in the NHL with 115 points last season. He had five assists in two games this year.

Florida (1-0-2) plays at Los Angeles on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Sharks next play at St. Louis on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+ and Disney+.

What we know: Barkov is out six to eight weeks and will not need surgery.
What we don't: How long Celebrini will be out.