The Florida Panthers could chase a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship without captain Aleksander Barkov. He is expected to be out seven to nine months after knee surgery on his ACL and MCL, the team announced Friday.
“Today, he underwent successful surgery by Dr. John Uribe at Baptist Health Doctors Hospital,” the Panthers announced in a statement. “He will be re-evaluated on an ongoing basis.
“The expected recovery timeline for these injuries is 7 to 9 months.”
The Panthers did not rule out the possibility of Barkov’s returning at some point in the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, his time frame for recovery would keep him from playing for Finland in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Panthers, a favorite or co-favorite by oddsmakers to again win the Cup, saw their odds dip throughout Friday after coach Paul Maurice announced Barkov would undergo surgery.
“You get one day to be sad,” Maurice said Friday morning after a practice.
An update on the Captain. pic.twitter.com/U2hZZdHPqt
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 26, 2025
Barkov was injured Thursday at Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when his right leg appeared to give out while he attempted to deke a teammate. A video of the incident from news station WPLG-10 showed Barkov briefly attempting to rise before remaining on the ice in a kneeling position. Panthers trainers attended to him, helping the 30-year-old leave the ice as he appeared to place minimum pressure on his right leg.
Barkov, the Panthers’ top-line center, is no stranger to being sidelined in the regular season. He has missed at least 10 games seven times, including in three of the past four seasons. Still, he is a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward and owns Panthers franchise records for goals (286), assists (496), points (782) and games (804).
Wearing the “C” for Florida since 2018, Barkov has been an on-ice leader for the franchise’s greatest run. The Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and reached the Final in 2022-23. They are attempting to become the first NHL team to win three consecutive championships and play in four consecutive Cup Finals since the New York Islanders of the early 1980s.
The Panthers are already without star winger Matthew Tkachuk, who is recovering from injuries suffered in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February. Tkachuk did not play in a game after that tournament until the Stanley Cup playoffs, where he tied for the team lead in points. Tkachuk is out until at least December, Panthers general manager Bill Zito recently said.
(Photo: Peter Joneleit / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
