Sandis Vilmanis helped off the ice in Washington

Sammi Silber just reported that Sandis Vilmanis was helped off the ice in the first period after a big hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

The Panthers have not given an update yet, and his status for the rest of the game is unknown. Florida and Washington are still playing in the first period, with 9:43 left when this was written.

Silber first flagged the hit moments earlier, noting that Wilson hit Vilmanis, who went down on the ice while trainers attended to him.

Then came the scene that has Panthers fans holding their breath. Silber noted that Vilmanis was being helped off the ice while the officials circled up to discuss Wilson and whether there would be a call.

We won't guess at a diagnosis or a penalty. The officials' decision and the player's condition are both unknown right now.

The timing is rough. Florida is already without Anton Lundell, who is day-to-day, so another loss up front would thin out the forward group fast.

Why this injury scare hurts Florida's forward group

Vilmanis has been one of the better stories of the early season. He has 3 goals and 4 assists in 15 games, and he erupted for four points against Chicago on Nov. 4.

That 5-3 win was the Panthers' most recent result before today, and Vilmanis was a big part of it. The 22-year-old has been earning a bigger role, which makes this moment even harder to watch.

Brady Tkachuk answered Washington's goal with an equalizer shortly before the hit, so the Panthers had just found some footing in the game.

If Vilmanis can't return, Paul Maurice will have to reshuffle his wingers on the fly against a Capitals team that plays a physical game. Wilson already has 30 penalty minutes in 14 games this season, so the officials' ruling will be watched closely.

We'll update this story as soon as the Panthers say anything about Vilmanis.

Quick hits

WASHINGTON CAPITALSJack St. Ivany scored the first goal of his NHL career against Florida tonight, putting Washington up 1-0. What a moment for a young defenseman, even if it came against us.

DALLAS STARSMiro Heiskanen will not play tonight against San Jose, per Brien Rea. That's a big hole on the blue line.

SAN JOSE SHARKSJake Oettinger gets the start in net for the Stars tonight against the Sharks, according to Bruce LeVine, who relayed Glen Gulutzan's confirmation.

EDMONTON OILERSVasily Podkolzin stays on Connor McDavid's wing against the Canucks tonight, per Oilers beat writer Jack Michaels. The experiment keeps going.

NASHVILLE PREDATORSJuuse Saros starts tonight against the Blues, with Joel Hofer in the other crease.