It did not look good when Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov went down with an apparent leg injury during practice Thursday. One day later, Florida reportedly is preparing for the worst.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters Friday that Barkov is undergoing right knee surgery to repair the injury suffered Thursday. Per NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Florida is "bracing for the possibility" that Barkov could miss the entire 2025-26 campaign.
Here's video of Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov going down today at practice... https://t.co/g32uLiJzjk pic.twitter.com/QIAamOdqzd
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) September 25, 2025
"We have to learn how to win hockey games without good players," Maurice said Friday. "If that's the adversity and the test we face this year, that's what we're going to do."
Barkov, a first-round pick (No. 2 overall) in the 2013 draft, has spent all 12 seasons of his career in a Panthers sweater. The two-time All-Star was a key cog in the Panthers' back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and '25.
In 67 games last season, Barkov tallied 71 points—20 goals and 51 assists. Without him on the ice this season, Florida will turn to Sam Bennett, Anthon Lundell, Evan Rodrigues and Luke Kunin to take the load at center.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Panthers Bracing for Aleksander Barkov to Potentially Miss Entire 2025-26 NHL Season.
