The Florida Panthers' dream of a historic third consecutive Stanley Cup victory has been hit by a fresh and unusual setback, as forward Eetu Luostarinen becomes the latest player sidelined by injury.
Barbeque Blunder Sidelines Key Forward
The reigning champions confirmed that Luostarinen will be out for an indefinite period after suffering burns in what head coach Paul Maurice described as 'a barbequing mishap'. The freak accident occurred away from the rink, adding to a growing list of woes for the depleted Panthers roster.
Maurice announced the news on Wednesday, stating the Finnish forward would be listed as week to week. 'We don't have a lot of experience with this,' the coach admitted, indicating the team lacks a concrete timeline for Luostarinen's return. 'When he comes back and feels comfortable with the equipment on him, away we go.'
Panthers' Mounting Injury Crisis
Luostarinen's bizarre injury compounds a severe injury crisis that has plagued the Panthers early in the 2025 NHL season. The team's quest to become the first North American sports team to achieve a three-peat since the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s is already facing significant challenges.
The Panthers' infirmary now includes a worrying number of key players:
- Captain Aleksander Barkov (preseason ACL tear), who could miss the entire season.
- Star forward Matthew Tkachuk (groin), potentially making his season debut in December.
- Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), and Tomas Nosek (knee), all with months of recovery ahead.
To make matters worse, recent waiver acquisition Cole Schwindt, brought in to bolster the injury-ravaged lineup, is now himself out for 2-3 months after requiring surgery on a broken arm.
Finding Opportunity in Adversity
With seven regular players out of the lineup, Coach Maurice acknowledges his team has 'a problem' but is trying to frame the situation as a learning opportunity. The roster depletions have forced Florida to adapt their playing style.
'There's an awful lot of good if you can capture, if you can learn some new things, things that you have to learn to survive,' Maurice stated. 'We're trying to survive... We can survive that and then learn through the adversity of it.'
He remains optimistic about the team's potential comeback later in the season, especially after the trade deadline. 'We're going to get some players back. We can be a better team than we were going into the playoffs last year, if we can learn how to do this.'
In the meantime, the Panthers are turning to their youth, with rookie Jack Devine—a two-time NCAA champion and Hobey Baker Award finalist—set to make his NHL debut in Thursday's home game against the New Jersey Devils.
The injury issues extend beyond Florida, affecting Team USA's preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Key American players like Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins, who was recently struck in the face by a puck, and the Hughes brothers are also currently sidelined, with Jack Hughes missing around eight weeks after a finger injury from a fall on glass.
