Barkov (lower body) will be out for approximately 6-8 weeks, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports Tuesday.
Barkov opted for non-surgical rehab after suffering a lower-body injury in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose. Florida placed Barkov on long-term injured reserve Saturday. He didn't earn a point in his first two appearances of the 2026-27 campaign, but he recorded two shots on net, two blocked shots and one hit.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Moves to LTIR
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Barkov (knee) was placed on long-term injured reserve Saturday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
Barkov will miss at least 10 games and 24 days following his LTIR placement. The Panthers might provide a timeline for his return after Saturday's practice. Barkov injured his left leg in Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose. He sat out the entire 2025-26 campaign after he had reconstructive surgery to repair his right ACL and MCL.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Will undergo MRI
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Barkov (knee) is scheduled to have an MRI on Friday, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.
Barkov exited the ice immediately after suffering his apparent knee injury, which isn't an encouraging sign for a player who missed all of last season with a knee injury on his other side. While not officially ruled out, at this point it seems unlikely the veteran center will be ready to face the Ducks on Sunday and could miss the rest of Florida's West Coast swing.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Injury update expected Friday
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Barkov sustained an apparent left leg injury Thursday versus the Sharks, but an update on his status isn't expected until Friday, Panthers TV Rinkside Reporter Katie Engleson reports.
Barkov's injury isn't related at all to his devastating right ACL and MCL injuries from last year. His left leg buckled underneath him as he fell to the ice in a board battle during the second period Thursday, and Barkov was visibly upset when he left the ice. While it's definitely possible he'll miss time, the severity of the injury won't be known until his evaluation is completed.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: No rust in preseason opener
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Barkov delivered a goal and a power-play assist during Sunday's 6-3 preseason win over the Hurricanes.
Barkov skated on the top line between Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart on Sunday, which is a trio that has the potential to be one of the best lines in the NHL this season if it sticks together. Barkov missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season, but if he stays healthy this year, he will be a high-end fantasy option at the center position. Don't forget about the Finnish playmaker on draft day.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Good to go
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Barkov (knee) is available for the start of training camp, per David Dwork of The Hockey News on Wednesday.
Barkov didn't play at all during the 2025-26 campaign due to the injury, but he did log three goals and 11 points in 10 outings for Team Finland during the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Even without focusing on the lost season, Barkov has a lengthy injury history. The 31-year-old hasn't reached the 75-game mark in a regular season since 2018-19. However, Barkov is capable of producing a little over a point per game when healthy.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Playing in World Championship
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Barkov (knee) will play for Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports Thursday.
Barkov missed the entire regular season after undergoing knee surgery in training camp. He has been skating since January and would have returned to the lineup at some point had Florida made it into the playoffs. He will test out his knee in May for Finland and is expected to be ready to return for the start of training camp in September, barring any setbacks.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Still skating, out for season
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As expected, Barkov (knee) won't return before the end of the 2025-26 season, per George Richards of Florida Hockey Now on Monday.
Barkov has been skating since January and participated in practices with his teammates for the past few weeks. However, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed before Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Rangers that Barkov won't play this campaign. The 30-year-old Barkov had reconstructive surgery last September to repair his right ACL and MCL. He just passed the six-month mark of a 7-9 month recovery. Barkov registered 20 goals and 71 points in 67 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Skating in non-contact jersey
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Barkov (knee) took the ice Tuesday in a non-contact sweater, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
Barkov continues to work his way back from a long-term knee problem that required surgery back in September. With the Cats having basically waved the white flag on this season, there is no reason to rush the veteran center back into the lineup. Still, Barkov probably would benefit from getting into a handful of games this year to shake off the rust if he is cleared in time.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Surfaces on IR
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Barkov (knee) was shifted to injured reserve Tuesday.
This move was not unexpected, as Barkov recently underwent knee surgery to repair injuries to his right ACL and MCL. Florida's captain has a 7-9 month recovery timeline, and it's a possibility he'll be held out of a potential playoff run to allow him to fully heal for the 2026-27 campaign. Sam Bennett is slated to center the top line in Barkov's stead.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Missing 7-9 months
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Barkov (knee) underwent surgery Friday to repair injuries to his right ACL and MCL and will miss 7-9 months.
Even in a best-case scenario, it is almost certain Barkov will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 regular season. If he's on the long end of the timeline, he could also miss the playoffs. The Panthers will have to dig deep to cover Barkov's absence, which will likely lead to a bigger role for Anton Lundell and a committee approach to filling bottom-six minutes. Expect Barkov to be placed on long-term injured reserve prior to the start of the season.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Undergoing right knee surgery
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Barkov is having surgery to repair a right knee injury Friday and will be sidelined indefinitely, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
While the team hasn't provided a specific timeline or announced the exact nature of his knee surgery, there is concern that this could end his 2025-26 campaign before it even starts. At this point, Barkov probably isn't worth the risk in re-draft formats and only has value in keeper/dynasty contests, where he can be stashed away for the 2026-27 campaign. With Barkov out, Anton Lundell will likely be pressed into the second-line center role to open the season.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Seeing doctors Thursday
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Barkov will get checked out by doctors Thursday after suffering a leg injury in practice earlier in the day,
Barkov was down on the ice for several minutes after being hit in practice. Barkov needed help off the ice as he was unable to apply much weight on his right leg. The 30-year-old had 20 goals and 51 assists across 67 regular-season contests in 2024-25 and was a stud in the playoffs with six goals and 22 points in 23 contests.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Sustains apparent right leg injury
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Barkov exited Thursday's practice session early due to an apparent right leg injury, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The Panthers held their first practice session in which the regulars participated in a team setting, but Barkov was unable to make it through practice due to his injury. He was down on the ice for several minutes before being helped off by a pair of staff members, and he didn't appear to put much weight on his right leg as he left the ice. Head coach Paul Maurice said after practice that Barkov is still being evaluated, and the team is expected to have more information on the nature and severity of his injury Friday.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Hoists Cup for second straight year
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Barkov delivered two assists in a 5-1 Stanley Cup-clinching victory over Edmonton on Tuesday.
His Selke grit set the tone for the Panthers, who excelled in the postseason. This was Barkov's second straight lift of the Cup. He finished with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 23 games this postseason. Barkov delivered five assists on a three-game point streak to finish the playoffs.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Nabs assist in win
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Barkov logged an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Barkov has three helpers over the last two games. The 29-year-old opened the series with three scoreless efforts, but he's found his way back on the scoresheet as the Panthers make a push for a second consecutive championship. The center has produced six goals, 14 helpers, 45 shots on net, 50 hits, 22 blocked shots and a plus-1 rating across 22 playoff appearances.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Collects pair of assists
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Barkov notched two assists, two shots on goal, two hits and a minus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Barkov set up third-period tallies by Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett to help the Panthers clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. Over five games against the Hurricanes, Barkov put up three goals and four assists from his first-line spot. The 29-year-old leads the Panthers in points this postseason with 17 in as many games, and he's added 34 shots on net, 40 hits, 16 blocked shots and a plus-4 rating.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Three-point effort in Game 3 win
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Barkov scored twice, dished an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-4 in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Hurricanes in Game 3.
Barkov netted both of his tallies during a five-goal third period for the Panthers. He also assisted on a Niko Mikkola tally in the first. During his four-game point streak, Barkov has three goals, four assists and six shots on net. The star center is up to six goals, nine helpers, 32 shots, 37 hits, 16 blocks and a plus-9 rating across 15 playoff appearances.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Lights lamp on power play
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Barkov put up a power-play goal in a 5-0 win over Carolina in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday.
Barkov's goal put the kitties up 5-0 in the third. He redirected Aaron Ekblad's wrist shot from the right point past Pyotr Kochetkov. It was his fourth goal and 12th point of the postseason (14 games). That total puts Barkov one point behind a trio of teammates (Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen) for the team lead in the postseason.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Collects pair of assists
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Barkov logged two assists and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Game 7.
Barkov helped out on Seth Jones' opening tally in the second period and also fed Sam Reinhart with a faceoff win for the Panthers' fifth goal. This was Barkov's first multi-point effort since the playoff opener versus the Lightning on April 22. The 29-year-old center is up to three goals, seven assists, 27 shots on net, 32 hits, nine blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over 12 postseason contests. He'll continue to be busy in the Eastern Conference Finals, where his two-way skills will be tested by the Hurricanes' relentless puck possession and grinding playing style.
