Panthers Captain Barkov Out 6-8 Weeks With Left Leg Injury

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will miss six to eight weeks with a left leg injury, coach Paul Maurice announced Tuesday. The team did not say surgery would be required.

Barkov sustained the injury during the Panthers' overtime loss at San Jose on Thursday. His left knee appeared to buckle during the play, and Barkov left the ice visibly uncomfortable. The injury occurred about 20 minutes into the team's first training camp practice for the 2025-26 season.

Maurice revealed the timeline Tuesday ahead of the Panthers' game at Los Angeles. He expects Barkov to miss approximately 20 to 25 games.

"That's our best window," Maurice said of the recovery period. "Could be a little less, could be a little more. But we think six to eight is the right rehab time."

The Panthers placed Barkov on long-term injured reserve over the weekend, anticipating his absence would exceed 10 games. Barkov met with team doctors Monday before the recovery plan finalized.

The team has experience playing without their captain, whom Maurice considers the team's best player. "If he hadn't been injured last year we would have thought, Gee, six to eight weeks is a long time," Maurice said. "I think last year was six to eight months, so we're taking it."

Barkov's statistical contributions over his most recent 10 seasons, excluding last year's injury struggles, include 722 points, 485 hits, and 463 blocked shots. No other NHL player achieved those numbers in all three categories during that span.

"It's good for everything, maybe most importantly for Barky," Maurice added. "He's our captain and we miss him and he feels it when he's not around. So, he's probably the happiest of all of us."