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Barkov Injury Update Rocks Panthers, Captain Out Long-Term

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 1:01 PM ET

The news coming out of Florida is not good when it comes to the status of captain Aleksander Barkov. Injured in practice on Thursday, reports are now surfacing that he could miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season.

Elliotte Friedman is reporting:

“Going to know more in the best 24-48 hours, but Panthers are bracing for the possibility their captain, Aleksander Barkov, could be lost for the season. Would be brutal, no one wants to see that…but, unfortunately, was a bad injury.”

Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters on Friday that Barkov is undergoing surgery for a right knee injury—timeline for return TBD.

Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports, “I jumped the gun a bit with the phrasing here. Team will give an exact timeline for Barkov after his surgery, but the anticipation is, yes, that he will be out for the entirety of the season.”

Clearly, this is not ideal. With Barkov now out long-term and Matthew Tkachuk already sidelined, the Panthers will have to make some big decisions in the next few weeks. Two huge pieces that will keep them in contention as they try to threepeat are now out.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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