The Florida Panthers have started their Stanley Cup defense with six wins in their first ten games. Most of it has been without captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed eight games. Paul Maurice told reporters that Barkov would return on Monday, in time for their games in his home country of Finland.

Barkov got hurt diving after an empty-net goal in the second game of the season against the Ottawa Senators. Immediately, Maurice said that Barkov would be out for a short time and be back for the Global Series. Now, he will get one game to ramp up for games that are certainly circled on his calendar.

The Panthers and Stars play each other on Friday and Saturday in Finland as part of the league's global product. The Sabres and Devils played two games in Czechia to start the season. Part of the appeal is sending European stars back to their home countries, which includes Barkov and Miro Heiskanen in this matchup.

Without Barkov, the Panthers continued their strong start to the season. They went 5-2-1 without their top center including a few strong defensive performances. They went to New York and allowed just one goal to the Rangers and came back from a three-goal deficit against the Islanders.

Aleksander Barkov holds the key to a Panthers repeat

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) moves the puck past Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena.
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The Panthers won the Stanley Cup because Aleksander Barkov locked up Connor McDavid. The best offensive player in the league did not score in Game 7 largely because Barkov is a dynamite defender. While McDavid still won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP, Barkov proved his value in that game.

Matthew Tkachuk is the star of the Panthers. His addition propelled them to consecutive Eastern Conference titles and their first championship. He showed why against the Islanders, picking at Semyon Varlamov and scoring a goal when the frazzled goalie couldn't cover the puck. Combine that with Barkov's defensive excellence and the Panthers are an unbeatable force.

The Eastern Conference is chock full of contenders, especially the Atlantic Division. The Bruins, Lightning, and Maple Leafs are all off to solid starts and other teams are challenging for spots. Monday's game against the Sabres is important for October, as Buffalo is off to a 4-4-1 start this season.

The Panthers have done a solid job of banking points in October. The early portions of the season are about getting points where you can, staying healthy, and not getting too far behind in the standings. With the return of Barkov, they are in great shape to go on a repeat run.