Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena — Courtesy: Shutterstock — YES Market Media
Following a right knee injury sustained at training camp on Thursday, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov is anticipated to miss the whole 2025–2026 NHL season.
Barkov had knee surgery on Friday morning, according to Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, who will find out more about how much time he will likely lose after the procedure is over.
After falling during an early-practice offensive zone drill at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, Barkov needed assistance getting off the ice. This was the first full workout for a number of Panthers regulars, including Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Aaron Ekblad. A Local 10 News crew was on the scene.
Two trainers helped the 30-year-old captain off the ice, who seemed to be favoring his right leg. He didn’t come back for the rest of practice.
The injury occurs a few weeks before Florida’s second straight Stanley Cup defense begins.
Florida plays the Carolina Hurricanes at home on Monday night to continue their preseason campaign. The nature of Barkov’s injury has not been made public by the team.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
