Paul Maurice puts a clock on Barkov and Marchand returns

Paul Maurice says Aleksander Barkov is skating again and on schedule, welcome news for the Panthers ahead of Friday's homestand opener.

The Florida bench boss delivered the update Thursday, and it covered more than the captain. Brad Marchand is back on the ice too. Jacob Markstrom isn't far behind.

“They are on schedule, and that's a positive,” Maurice said. He pegged the captain at roughly four weeks out, and Marchand at about three from the day of his injury.

The Panthers captain went down Oct. 1 in San Jose and avoided surgery. He's listed out until at least Nov. 27, with Maurice still working off a 6-8 week window.

Barkov got just two games in before it happened, with no points to show for them. Brutal timing for a player who missed all of last season with a leg injury.

Marchand's exit came Oct. 6 against Los Angeles, after a high stick sent him falling awkwardly into the post. The 38-year-old had already scored once in his two games.

Add it up and $21,250,000 in cap hits is sitting on injured reserve between Barkov, Marchand and Markstrom. Florida is 7-4-2 anyway.

Akira Schmid can't carry the Panthers crease much longer

Markstrom left practice after taking a puck before the last road trip. He's listed out until at least Nov. 4.

“I think we said 10-14 days,” Maurice said. “I think we're optimistic that it's closer to 10 than 14.”

The veteran was rolling before the injury. Through six games, he owns a 3-1-1 record, a .897 save percentage and one shutout.

Schmid hasn't matched that. He sits at .885 across seven appearances, and Cooper Black posted an .857 save percentage in his lone outing.

Florida's margins don't leave room for shaky goaltending. The Panthers have allowed 37 goals in 13 games, only two fewer than they've scored.

So Maurice should take the 10 days, not gamble on eight. A 36-year-old goalie rushed back in October is how a two-week absence turns into a two-month problem.

Down the middle, the depth behind the captain hasn't filled the hole. Anton Lundell has no points and went minus-3 over his last five games.

Watching Florida without Barkov is like a kitchen running without its head chef. The orders still go out. Some of them just come back.

Matthew Tkachuk has kept the lights on with 20 points, and 10 of his assists have come on the power play. Brady Tkachuk has eight goals.

Carter Verhaeghe is the hot hand, with five goals in his last five games. Sam Reinhart has done his damage on the man advantage, scoring five power-play goals.

“Those are two massive pieces to this team, and obviously we feel it when they're not in the lineup,” Sam Bennett said.

Winnipeg might be the perfect visitor. Scott Arniel's Jets carry a six-game skid and a -8 goal differential into Thursday night in Tampa.

That means Friday is the second half of a back-to-back for Winnipeg. Florida already handled them 5-1 on the road Tuesday.

Detroit and Chicago round out the homestand. And Florida has been oddly ordinary in Sunrise, just 2-1-0 at home compared to 5-3-2 on the road.

The schedule looks soft enough to survive without the captain. Whether the crease holds until Markstrom returns is another matter, and the answer may arrive long before Nov. 27 does.