Blue Jackets vs Panthers live stream: Watch online free Saturday 7:10 ET as Columbus could either move into third place of the Metropolitan or clinch the first wild card by the end of the night for its season-finale.

Columbus had already clinched a playoff berth, but the Blue Jackets (42-32-7) will go into Florida vs the Panthers (29-44-8) for the third and final meeting this season. The Jackets are going for the season-sweep, but no matter what happens, they will be without one of their most important players. Watch the free live stream online as life without Nathan Horton begins.

Watch the free live stream online of the Blue Jackets vs Panthers below:

1) First Row Sports.

2) NHL Gamecenter

3) NHL AOSO

Columbus announced Friday that right wing Nathan Horton is expected to miss six weeks following abdominal surgery. Horton, who signed as a free agent last summer after three seasons with the Boston Bruins, missed the first 40 games of the season following shoulder surgery. He had five goals and 14 assists in 36 regular-season games, according to NHL.com.

"It's a blow," coach Todd Richards said. "The reason why it's a blow is the potential out on the ice. [He is a] goal-scorer, big and strong. But the other thing is that he's played in big games and big moments."

Florida beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Thursday for its second win in three games. Center Nick Bjugstad led the way with two goals and an assist, according to NHL.com.

"He's obviously got a bright future," coach Peter Horachek said of Bjugstad. "He's got the skill set. You can't teach [6-foot-6], and he can skate and has hands like that. A couple of really big goals. The first one, the wraparound, that's something that somebody with a wingspan like that can do. And the shorty was a big goal too."

Injury report, according to NHL.com:

"In addition to Horton, Blue Jackets forwards RJ Umberger (upper body) and Nick Foligno (lower body) are out. Defenseman Nikita Nikitin (lower body) is day-to-day. ... Panthers goalie Dan Ellis (illness) and forwards Scott Gomez (illness) and Krys Barch (illness) missed the game Thursday. All three are day-to-day. Barch also sat out a 5-2 loss Tuesday against the Flyers. Defensemen Tom Gilbert (groin) and Alex Petrovic (upper body) and forwards Tomas Kopecky (upper body) and Aleksander Barkov (knee) are out."