Panthers coach Jacques Martin said Tuesday the rehab of right wing Todd Bertuzzi is not going as well as originally hoped, and that he won't return to the team before February.

The timetable means Bertuzzi, who underwent back surgery on Nov. 2, will miss at least 13 weeks and probably more. The timetable given when the procedure took place was eight to 12 weeks.

Bertuzzi was ordered to rest for six weeks after the surgery, then cleared to begin balance work two weeks ago. The expectation was that he would begin to work with strength and conditioning coach Andy O'Brien by now, but that has not happened.

Bertuzzi, who turns 32 on Feb. 2, is the Panthers' highest-paid player, earning $5.27 million this season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent if he is not re-signed by July 1.

Martin said the plan is to have Bertuzzi next meet with team doctors after the team returns from its trip to western Canada on Jan. 8.

"But we're looking at (a return) sometime in February," he said. A Feb. 1 return would mean he could play the final 30 games of the season. He played the first seven games this season, totaling one goal and six assists, before being sidelined.