Panthers' Barkov returns vs. Sabres

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned to the lineup Monday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Barkov missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury. He suffered the ailment during the Panthers' 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 10 after crashing feet-first into the boards while trying to prevent an empty-net goal.

Florida admirably went 5-2-1 in his absence, picking up victories against the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders.

Sam Reinhart led the way with 12 points while Barkov was out of the lineup, and his five goals also tied Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett for the most on the team.

Here's how the Panthers lined up during Monday's skate:

Barkov logged one assist in his first two games of the campaign.

The 29-year-old center totaled 23 goals and 80 points in 73 games last season while averaging 19:38 minutes of ice time. He added 22 points in 24 playoff games and became the first-ever Finnish captain to lift the Stanley Cup.

Selected second overall by the Panthers in the 2013 NHL Draft, Barkov is Florida's all-time leader in goals (266), assists (446), points (712), and games played (739).

Following their tilt with the Sabres, the Panthers head to Barkov's hometown of Tampere, Finland, for two games against the Dallas Stars on Friday and Saturday.