Panthers’ Barkov Faces Crucial Comeback Battle After Devastating ACL, MCL Surgery

In an unexpected blow to the Florida Panthers’ ambitions this season, captain Aleksander Barkov has undergone surgery to mend torn ligaments in his right knee—an injury that will bench the team’s linchpin for what looks like the better part of the campaign. It happened early on during the first official practice of training camp, a cruel twist for a player who’s been nothing short of the Panthers’ heartbeat over twelve relentless NHL seasons. With a recovery period clocked between seven and nine months, Barkov’s absence spells tough sledding for Florida as they aim for another Stanley Cup run—and clips the wings of his Olympic dreams in Milan. The locker room now braces for change, with other leaders set to rise amid adversity. The path ahead is rocky, especially alongside the sidelining of Matthew Tkachuk and the looming injury cloud over Tomas Nosek, but as the squad’s forward Carter Verhaeghe admits, challenges are nothing new to this resilient group. Barkov’s towering presence—leading in games played, goals, assists, and numerous other stats—is irreplaceable, casting a long shadow over this uncertain chapter. LEARN MORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov needed surgery Friday to repair the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee, injuries that will likely sideline him for the regular season and potentially the playoffs as Florida tries to win a third consecutive Stanley Cup.

Barkov was injured Thursday in his first official practice of training camp. The Panthers said the typical timetable for recovery from the type of surgery he underwent is seven to nine months.

At minimum, that timetable would mean he won’t be playing before the start of the playoffs. The injury also ends any chance of him representing his native Finland — as he hoped and planned — in the Milan-Cortina Olympics next February.

“He’s such an important person in that locker room,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Friday. “I think what we’re going to get to experience now is you’ll get to know some of the other leaders that we have in our room.”

Barkov was hurt 20 minutes into practice during a drill on a play where he took minimal contact.

“I know the idea is next man up,” Maurice said. “There’s not a next man for Barky’s skates.”

Barkov led the Panthers in assists last season with 51 and was second in points with 71. He added six goals and 16 more assists in the playoffs when Florida won its second consecutive Stanley Cup.

Barkov has appeared in more than 86% of all Florida games, including playoffs, in his 12 NHL seasons. This is the first time he has dealt with a potential season-ending injury.

And now, the Panthers — who have been to the past three Stanley Cup Finals and played more games in the past three seasons than any team in a three-year span in NHL history — have to navigate another missing star as the season approaches.

In addition to Barkov, the Panthers also won’t have forward Matthew Tkachuk while he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle. There is no formal target for Tkachuk’s return; given the typical return-to-play timelines for such procedures, it wouldn’t seem likely that he will return before December.

Since Tkachuk came to the Panthers in 2022, Florida has played only five games without either him or Barkov in the lineup — all last October, with the Panthers winning three of those contests. And Tomas Nosek, who had a big role in last season’s run to the Cup title, is expected to miss considerable time because of a knee injury.

“It’s going to be tough,” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said when asked about the Barkov news Friday. “He’s our leader — there’s no replacing Barky. Everyone has to step up. There’s no replacing him, but it’s another challenge for our group. And we’re usually pretty good at overcoming challenges.”

Barkov is Florida’s leader in many categories, including games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52).