The Florida Panthers’ chances for a Stanley Cup championship three-peat just became a lot tougher.
Captain Aleksander Barkov will have surgery on his right knee, coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Sept. 26. Barkov was injured during practice the day before during a non-contact drill.
According to the Miami Herald, Barkov, 29, fell to his knees shortly before a minor collision with defenseman Niko Mikkola. He was on the ice for several minutes before two staff members helped him to the dressing room. Barkov put very little weight on his right leg while leaving the ice.
It is not known how long the team’s top center will be sidelined but there were reports he tore his ACL and will miss the 2025-26 NHL season.
The Panthers already were without forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek; both had surgery in the off-season. Tkachuk is expected back in December and Nosek is expected to miss months.
Maurice talked to reporters at the team’s training camp about the somber news.
“That’s the big man,” Maurice said. “He’s such an important place in that locker room. What we’re going to get to experience now is you’ll get to know some of the other leaders that we have in our room. We’ll get to see other players. At the end of the day, I know there’s the idea of next man up, I get all that, but there’s not a next man for Barky’s skates.”
Barkov, in his eighth season as the team’s captain, 13th overall, has won the Selke Trophy – given annually to the NHL’s best defensive forward, three times. The Panthers’ all-time leader in games played (804), he also tops the franchise in goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52).
The Panthers host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sept. 29 in their home preseason opener and then play twice on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning following that. They open the regular season hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7, part of the NHL’s Opening Night triple-header.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Aleksander Barkov expected to miss 2025-26 NHL season after undergoing knee surgery
Reporting by Nick Pugliese, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
