Florida Panthers team captain Aleksander Barkov is out for the 2025-2026 NHL season due to an injury he suffered on the ice Thursday, the team announced.
According to CBS News Miami’s media partners at the Miami Herald, the centre is expected to undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a knee injury during the first full training camp practice of the season.
Barkov needed to be helped off the ice after appearing to sustain the injury during practice with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Barkov is expected to miss several months, which calls the entire season into jeopardy and essentially ends any chance of him representing his native Finland — as he hoped and planned — in the Milan-Cortina Olympics this coming February.
Barkov was in surgery on Friday while Head Coach Paul Maurice was addressing reporters. Once the surgery ends, the Panthers said they would release more details — some of which, Maurice said, wouldn’t be known until the procedure is over.
“I know the idea is next man up,” Maurice said. “There isn’t a next man to fill Barky’s skates.”
The Panthers have been in camp for a week — they’ve even made one round of cuts already, paring what was a 72-person roster down to 55 — but Thursday was the first day that most of the veterans were expected to participate.
Barkov led the Panthers in assists last season with 51 and was second in points with 71 — then added six goals and 16 more assists in the playoffs when Florida won its second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Barkov is Florida’s franchise leader in many categories, with games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52) among them.
Barkov has appeared in more than 86% of all Florida games, including playoffs, in his 12 NHL seasons. This is the first time he’s dealt with something that could potentially keep him out for an entire season.
Cats down two star players ahead of season’s start
It’s the second significant injury issue for the Panthers, who have been to the last three Stanley Cup finals, to navigate as the season approaches.
In addition to Barkov, the Panthers also will be without forward Matthew Tkachuk while he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle. There is no formal target for Tkachuk’s return; given the typical return-to-play timelines for such procedures, it is unlikely that he will play in any games before December.
Since Tkachuk joined the Panthers in 2022, Florida has played only five games without either him or Barkov in the lineup — all in last October, with the Panthers winning three of those five contests.
contributed to this report.
