Brad Marchand's season is potentially over due to a lower body injury.
He will miss Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
What happened?
The Panthers' coach Paul Maurice announced Marchand's absence and a visit to a specialist.
Marchand has been playing through pain for much of the season.
Why it matters for Brad Marchand
Marchand's production doesn't matter as much now, with the Panthers out of playoff contention.
His health is the priority for next season.
What comes next?
The Panthers haven't ruled out Sasha Barkov's return, but it's hard to see the point.
General manager Bill Zito said Seth Jones would play again at some point.
Maurice told reporters that Marchand's injury wasn't recovering and was getting worse.
Marchand has 27 goals and 27 assists, and is second on the team in goals and points.
The Panthers have been ravaged by injuries, with Marchand being a key player.
He has been professional during a challenging season, with some spectacular goals.
Marchand's visit to a specialist will determine the team's actions from there.
Don't be surprised if this is it for Marchand's season, with his health being the priority.
Marchand signed a six-year contract that takes him to age 43.
His minutes were supposed to be monitored, but injuries to other players made him do more.
Maurice said there were times where Marchand didn't play, but maintained his condition.
The injury got to a point where it was not recovering and continuing to get worse on the road trip.