Dmitry Kulikov Injury: Won't play during road trip

Kulikov (upper body) will travel with the Panthers during their upcoming four-game road trip but won't play in any of those matchups, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

The Panthers had previously reported that Kulikov could return to the lineup during the final week of the regular season, and while he won't suit up during the team's upcoming road trip, it's at least encouraging that he's been cleared to travel. Following the road trip, Kulikov will have five more chances to return during the regular season, and any game action would allow him to regain his conditioning ahead of the NHL playoffs.