Fans of the Florida Panthers are holding their collective breath after a scary collision involving their captain Aleksander Barkov, who departed late in the third period of what was ultimately a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.

Late in regulation, Barkov broke his stick during a shot attempt and scrambled to prevent Senators forward Tim Stutzle from scoring on an empty net. The two got tangled up and crashed into the boards, with Barkov absorbing the majority of the impact.

Immediately, it was clear that he was injured and was unable to put any weight on his leg. He needed help from his teammates to get off the ice and make his way toward the dressing room for treatment; he did not return.

Another angle of the incident can be seen below:

Afterward, head coach Paul Maurice didn't offer much in terms of a diagnosis of the Panthers captain, instead indicating that he's undergoing evaluations that could very well lead into tomorrow, via X:

“He is going to get looked at here tonight, and probably tomorrow as well,” Maurice explained in his postgame remarks.

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The Panthers fell to 1-1 with the loss, while the Senators kicked off their season with a 1-0 start. Florida will continue their road trip with a divisional clash against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night in Buffalo.

Losing Aleksander Barkov would be devastating for the Panthers 

Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The heart and soul of the Panthers, losing Barkov for any length of time would be a devastating setback for the team as they begin their Stanley Cup title defense.

Barkov has scored 266 goals with 446 assists during his NHL career, all spent with the Panthers. He was selected by the franchise with the second overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and has become one of the League's best defensive forwards.

Prior to his injury, Barkov had one lone assist on the season as part of Florida's 6-4 opening night win at home over the Boston Bruins.