Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is dealing with a broken nose but could return to the ice this weekend.
Kulikov, 35, has been ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the visiting Boston Bruins.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Kulikov could barely breathe after suffering the injury on Tuesday in a 6-3 win against the Ottawa Senators.
Kulikov, who missed most of this season recovering from a labral tear, has been held scoreless in 17 games this season.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, Kulikov has 247 points (50 goals, 197 assists) in 1,035 career games with eight NHL teams. He was the 14th overall pick by Florida in the 2009 NHL Draft.
The Panthers (36-35-3, 75 points) stand next to last in the Eastern Conference and on the verge of being eliminated from the playoff picture.
