Aleksander Barkov suffers yet another injury in heartbreaking scene

The Florida Panthers were dealt a devastating blow on Thursday night in what can only be history repeating itself when captain Aleksander Barkov went down with an apparent leg injury.

Details on the exact nature of the injury remain limited at this time, but multiple reporters flagged the moment on social media shortly after it happened during the second period against the Sharks in San Jose. Florida was down 2-0 at the time of the injury.

Barkov fell awkwardly near the boards while playing the puck and immediately knew he had gotten injured. Standing near the door leading to the tunnel and then the dressing room, Barkov opened it and threw his equipment in disgust while team trainers attempted to help him as he limped away. The scene was simply heartbreaking.

Barkov, widely regarded as one of the most complete players in the NHL, is the heartbeat of everything Florida does on the ice. Losing him for any stretch would represent a significant setback for a Panthers team with championship aspirations.

Last year, for the entire calendar, the Panthers found themselves without the superstar, who had suffered a gruesome injury when he blew out his right knee on his first on-ice practice of training camp. He had surgery the following day to repair his MCL and ACL.

And now this…

No official update from the team has been confirmed yet regarding the severity of the injury or a potential timeline for Barkov's return. I’m not sure what’s next for the captain at this point. We await an official update shortly.

For the Panthers, every game without Barkov in the lineup changes the complexion of this team in a major way.

I’m sincerely hoping for Barkov that it won’t be too serious and too long of a recovery.