Paul Maurice lays out several injury timelines as the Florida Panthers season resumes Thursday
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Hunter Bowman
Feb 25, 2026 (12:11)
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Photo credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel regarding his heavily depleted roster.
Following the long Olympic break, the team returned to the ice Wednesday with a wave of highly encouraging injury updates for the fanbase.
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and veteran forward Tomas Nosek have officially shed their no-contact sweaters, participating fully in regular practice jerseys for the first time.
Maurice addressed the media after the morning skate, explicitly confirming that both crucial depth pieces are not far off from a return to game action.
Maurice very happy to see Nosek and Kulikov shed the no-contact jerseys today.
"They're not far off."
"They're not far off."
Getting Kulikov back on the blue line provides immediate physical relief for a defensive unit that has been stretched entirely too thin over the last month.
Nosek brings a reliable, heavy presence to the bottom six, perfectly suited for the grueling forecheck Maurice demands during the postseason stretch run.
Paul Maurice welcomes Olympians back to Panthers practice
The positive news continued as the coaching staff officially welcomed back Uvis Balinskis and Gustav Forsling from their respective Olympic duties in Milan.
Forsling essentially operates as the undisputed anchor of the Florida defense, and his immediate return brings instant elite stability to the entire lineup.
While the roster is rapidly approaching full health, Maurice did note that defenseman Seth Jones remains restricted to a no-contact jersey for the time being.
Jones is still working his way back into the mix, but the undeniable progress across the rest of the locker room is a massive morale booster.
A few updates from practice.
- Olympians Balinskis & Forsling are back
- Kulikov & Nosek are in regular jerseys for 1st time
- Jones still in no-contact
- Olympians Balinskis & Forsling are back
- Kulikov & Nosek are in regular jerseys for 1st time
- Jones still in no-contact
The Panthers are currently gearing up for a vicious Atlantic Division playoff race, making these imminent returns perfectly timed for the front office.
With Kulikov and Nosek rapidly ramping up their physical conditioning, the reigning Eastern Conference heavyweights are about to get significantly harder to play against.
Also read on Sunrise Hockey Insider :
Paul Maurice issues a positive update on the health of two key players
Paul Maurice issues a positive update on the health of two key players
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