Florida Panthers Captain Could Miss Season After Surgery

Aleksander Barkov Has Surgery; Could Miss Season

The centre suffered the injury during Thursday’s practice with an apparent leg ailment. The veteran forward could miss several months and is a doubt to play at all this season. He is also likely to miss the 2026 Winter Olympics, which he would have represented his native Finland.

Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice announced the news while Barkov was in surgery. Team officials said they would release more details soon. Maurice was quick to add that there’s no one to fill Barkov’s skates.

The 12-year NHL pro leads the franchise in a number of categories. He is the team’s leader in  games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52).

The former second overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft is a three-time Selke Trophy winner. He’s also won the Lady Byng Trophy and the most-recent King Clancy Award recipient.

What It Means

Barkov has been a staple of the Florida lineup throughout his decade-plus NHL career. He’s appeared in 86 percent of the Panthers’ regular season and Stanley Cup Playoff games since joining the lineup.

The Cats were already dealing with the loss of Matthew Tkachuk for at least the first part of the season. Florida will now have to navigate a good portion of the season without the duo. The Panthers have played only five games without either he or Barkov in the lineup. Those games were played in October 2024 and Florida won three of those games.

The team should still be in the mix to defend their Stanley Cup championship. However, their depth will be severely tested this season.