Panthers lose key forward long-term after terrifying barbecue accident

The Florida Panthers received some unexpected injury news on Wednesday. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed that forward Eetu Luostarinen is expected to be out week-to-week after suffering burns in a barbecue accident. He was reportedly severely burned due to a malfunctioning gas grill.

That’s odd and honesty quite scary…

The young forward missed Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

This is a tough loss in Florida. Luostarinen had been a productive contributor for the Panthers this season, tallying three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 18 games. His absence adds to Florida’s injury challenges, which already include forward Cole Schwindt, who is expected to miss two to three months with a broken arm that will require surgery. This comes on top of injuries to other key players like captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.

Despite the injuries, the Panthers enter Wednesday’s matchup sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 10-8-1 record and 21 points in 19 games. Florida will look to maintain its competitive position when it faces the New Jersey Devils at home on Thursday evening.

The team now faces a critical stretch without two more forwards, highlighting the importance of depth in the lineup as they aim to stay in the playoff picture, to perhaps three-peat as Stanley Cup champions.

While Luostarinen’s injury is unusual and unexpected, the Panthers will hope he can return quickly to help maintain their momentum.

This is the second time this season, a long-term injury occurs off the ice. Last week, the New Jersey Devils announced that Jack Hughes suffered a hand injury during a team dinner Thursday night. Multiple sources are calling it a “fluke accident” after Hughes apparently slipped and cut his hand while out with his teammates.