Devastating Update for Panthers on Barkov

Friday, September 26, 2025

South Florida has been holding its breath waiting on an update on the status of captain Aleksander Barkov, who was injured during practice on Thursday. Unfortunately, the reports today are devastating. 

Head coach Paul Maurice has confirmed that Barkov is undergoing surgery on his knee, and the team has announced that Barkov will miss between seven and nine months  Essentially the whole season.

It's absolutely brutal news for the Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who were hoping to go for a three-peat this season. They are already without Matthew Tkachuk due to a torn adductor muscle for likely the first half of the season, and now Barkov for potentially the entire year. 

The injury occurred during the team's first full practice of the year on Thursday morning, and Barkov was unable to skate off the ice without assistance.


Barkov had 71 points in 67 games last season and won the Selke Trophy for the third time as top defensive forward in the NHL. In his 12 years with the Panthers, he is the team's all-time leader in games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), and points (782), while posting a sensational plus/minus of +124.  He's also recorded 44 points in 47 games over the last two playoff runs to the Cup. 

It'll be awfully tough for Florida to repeat if Barkov is unavailable for the entire campaign. 

He was set to head into the 4th season of an 8-year, $80 million contract. If he is, indeed, out for the season and the playoffs, the Panthers will be able to use his $10 million cap hit to bolster the lineup with some additional talent. 


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