BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Florida Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola left Saturday's 3-0 loss at Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury.
Mikkola, 29, got hurt in the second period when he got tied up with Sabres forward Tyson Kozak. Mikkola was assessed a holding penalty on the play and departed moments later.
The Panthers, who are going for a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship, have been hit hard by injuries already this season. Aleksander Barkov will be out for at least seven months because of a knee injury, and fellow forward Matthew Tkachuk could return in December from a torn adductor muscle.
Coach Paul Maurice said Wednesday that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to be sidelined for about five months because of an upper-body injury.
Florida has dropped four in a row since it began the season with three straight wins.
"We're missing big guys but on the other hand, some other guys have the opportunity to step up and make their way on the team, in the league," goalie Sergei Bobrovsky said. "It's a good opportunity for them. The structure is there. We have a great group of guys, and it's all in our hands. We're just going to reset, refocus, and get ready for the next game."
Mikkola agreed to an eight-year, $40 million contract extension on Oct. 2. He set career highs with six goals and 16 assists last season, and he led Florida's defensemen with 137 hits. He could be part of the Finnish team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
