Aleksander Barkov will miss the season due to injury
The Florida Panthers captain, Aleksander Barkov, underwent surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. This injury could sideline him during the regular season and possibly the playoffs, as the Panthers seek to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup title. Barkov suffered the injury during the first official practice of training camp on Thursday. According to the team, the typical recovery time for this type of surgery is between seven and nine months. This means that, at a minimum, he will not be able to play before the start of the playoffs. In addition, the injury prevents him from representing his native country, Finland, in the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in February, something he was hoping and planning for.Barkov was injured 20 minutes into practice, during an exercise in which he received minimal contact.He’s a very important person in the locker room. I think now we’ll be able to get to know other leaders we have on our team.
Paul Maurice, Panthers coach
Last season, Barkov led the Panthers in assists with 51 and was second in points with 71. In the playoffs, he added six goals and 16 assists, as Florida won its second consecutive Stanley Cup. In his 12 seasons in the NHL, he has participated in more than 86% of Florida’s games, including the playoffs. This is the first time he has faced an injury that could end his season. The Panthers, who have reached the last three Stanley Cup Finals and have played more games in the last three seasons than any other team in a three-year period in NHL history, must now face another major setback as the season approaches. In addition to Barkov, the Panthers will also be without forward Matthew Tkachuk, who is recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle. There is no scheduled return date for Tkachuk; given the usual recovery time for this type of procedure, it does not seem likely that he will return before December. Since Tkachuk arrived at the Panthers in 2022, Florida has only played five games without him or Barkov in the lineup, all last October, and the Panthers won three of those games. Tomas Nosek, who played a significant role in the race for the Cup title last season, will also miss a considerable amount of time due to a knee injury.I know the idea is that the next man takes over. But there is no next man to replace Barky.
Paul Maurice, Panthers coach
Barkov leads the Florida franchise in many categories, including games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84), and game-winning goals (52).It’s going to be difficult. He’s our leader. There’s no way to replace Barky. Everyone has to step up. There’s no way to replace him, but it’s another challenge for our group. And we’re usually pretty good at overcoming challenges.
Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers forward
