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Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

How the Panthers Can Survive Aleksander Barkov’s Injury

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Joey Ganzi | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 10:10 AM ET

The Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 season as defending Stanley Cup champions. They look to be the first team since the early 1980s New York Islanders to win three straight championships.

But the quest to do so is getting more difficult before the season started. Earlier this year, forward Matthew Tkachuk received surgery for the torn adductor that he suffered last postseason. He is projected to be out until December. Additionally, Tomas Nosek had surgery this offseason and is projected to miss several months.

And now they’ve suffered yet another massive blow. The team’s captain, center Aleksander Barkov, suffered an ACL and MCL tear at practice last week. He had surgery on the injury and is projected to be out seven to nine months, leaving him completely out for the regular season and likely the playoffs. What does this mean for the team going forward?

Anton Lundell Is Going to Get More Minutes

Being that his playstyle is nearly identical to that of Barkov’s, center Anton Lundell is going to see a lot more shifts and minutes in his absence.

Over his career, Bill Zito’s first-ever draft selection as a general manager has flourished into a great two-way center. In four regular seasons, he’s scored 60 goals, tallied 97 assists, and honed a plus-70 rating. In the playoffs, he’s turned into a force of nature with 12 goals, 34 assists, and a plus-29 rating through 77 appearances. He has a chance to make a huge impact as a potential number-one center.

Third Line Is Going to Get Some Extra Work

Speaking of Lundell, his linemates are going to have an extra workload. The veteran presence of Brad Marchand and the talent of Eetu Luostarinen can give the team an extra boost with the way they play.

Last postseason alone, they were dynamic, accounting for 57 points (21 goals, 36 assists). They look to replicate that performance and then some all season long.

Zito Is Going to Look at a Big Piece This Trade Deadline

With Barkov more than likely to be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), Zito is likely going to be working the phones for a decent stopgap. The plus side of this is that he has $10.5 million of extra cap space to work with.

He could be looking at some guys either on struggling teams or on expiring deals. They could look into guys like Charlie Coyle or Sidney Crosby to give a late push towards the postseason.

This Team Faces Adversity Once Again

Once again, the Panthers have to face yet another massive hurdle in their quest to form a new dynasty. To them, a guy like Barkov is simply irreplaceable.

“You can’t replace Barky because he does so many different things on and off the ice.”
Marchand on missing Barkov for the season

But this team has shown time and time again that a little bit of a challenge is something they almost request, and they have the guys to get the job done.

“One of the things I was really impressed with when I came in was, you didn’t feel like one guy led the way. You felt like everyone was very dialed in to what they had to do. Everyone was bought in, everyone did everything as a unit. That is very special and you don’t see that often where the guys are one. You’ll see where there are one or two guys who kind of lead the way, and others follow … that’s complete opposite of this group.”
Marchand on his teammates

If the Panthers can overcome missing their star captain for a whole season and come out victorious, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this team is one of the toughest ever to suit up.