Florida Panthers Star Forward Set to Return

The Florida Panthers are getting a major boost, as Aleksander Barkov is set to return for Thursday's contest against the Detroit Red Wings.

Barkov has been out for the last handful of weeks due to pneumonia, but now the star center is better and ready to continue his season. The Panthers certainly will be ecstatic to have him back, as they went 2-3-2 without him in the lineup. This skid has made them drop to fifth in the Atlantic Division, and they currently do not hold a playoff spot. Now that Barkov is back, expect them to heat up.

In 19 games this season, Barkov has five goals, 18 points, and a plus-3 rating. It will be interesting to see how he performs from here now that he is 100% to go.