‘There’s no replacing Barky:’ Aleksander Barkov’s season-ending injury will impact the Panthers on and off the ice
Photo Credit: NHLPA.com
From winning back-to-back Stanley Cups to signing and re-signing coveted free agents, not much has gone wrong for the Florida Panthers over the last two years. However, that changed last Thursday when the team saw perhaps its most impactful player crumble to the ice during the first official practice of training camp.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov’s legs folded out from under him after an awkward collision with teammate Niko Mikkola just 20 minutes into Thursday’s practice. Barkov was helped off the ice by two members of the team’s medical staff.
Barkov was later diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. The two-time Stanley Cup champion underwent successful surgery on Friday and has been ruled out for the entire season. Recovery time is expected to be 7-9 months, with a slim chance that the captain can return if the Panthers make the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.
“I know the idea is next man up,” said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “There’s not a next man for Barky’s skates.”
Drafted by the Panthers second overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Barkov has played 12 seasons in South Florida, including the last seven as the team’s captain. Despite the Panthers’ recent success, Barkov endured some tough times early on with the franchise. The Panthers didn’t qualify for the playoffs in five of Barkov’s first six seasons, and didn’t win a playoff series until his ninth season in the league.
In his 12-year career, Barkov has 286 goals and 496 assists for 782 points. The native of Finland has only 164 penalty minutes in 12 seasons. For reference, the league’s leader in penalty minutes in 2024-25, Nikita Zadorov, had 145 penalty minutes in 81 games. The 30-year-old leads the franchise in games played (804), goals, assists, points, power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52). Barkov is a three-time Selke Trophy winner for best defensive forward in the NHL, having won the award the last two seasons and three times in the last five years.
The two-time NHL All-Star has been a force in the playoffs during the Panthers’ run to three consecutive Stanley Cup appearances. Over that span of 68 playoff games, Barkov had 60 points, including 22 in each of the last two seasons. He has recorded 12 points in the Stanley Cup Finals, with seven of them coming during the final three games of this year’s Cup Final. As the captain, Barkov was the first to lift the Stanley Cup in each of the last two seasons for the Panthers.
His play on the ice is crucial to the Panthers’ success, but his role off the ice might be even more important.
“He’s such an important person in that locker room,” Maurice said. “I think what we’re going to get to experience now is you’ll get to know some of the other leaders that we have in our room.”
“It’s [losing Barkov] going to be tough,” said Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe on Friday. “He’s our leader. There’s no replacing Barky. Everyone has to step up. There’s no replacing him, but it’s another challenge for our group. And we’re usually pretty good at overcoming challenges.”
“Barky,” as he’s known amongst his teammates, is one of the most respected players in the league. The 30-year-old won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2018-19. The Lady Byng is awarded "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." Barkov has finished in the top four in Lady Byng voting four times in his career. This season, Barkov was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is given "to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community." Barkov became the first Panther to receive the honor since the award’s inception in 1988.
As mentioned by Maurice and Verhaeghe, replacing Barkov’s leadership and skill will be a difficult task, but the Panthers’ roster is built with players who can replace his production off the ice and fill his role in the locker room.
Unfortunately, Barkov’s most likely replacement for leadership duties and point production, Matthew Tkachuk, is also dealing with a significant injury. Tkachuk had surgery this summer to repair a torn adductor muscle that will likely keep him out until December. Tkachuk’s goal is to be healthy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, something Barkov’s injury will prohibit him from participating in. Tkachuk is becoming one of the faces of the league and has been at the heart of his team’s three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
Brad Marchand, who was acquired at the deadline from the Boston Bruins and re-signed with the Panthers this offseason, has experience wearing the “C” on his chest. He spent parts of his final two years with the Bruins as their captain after serving as an alternate captain for five seasons. Marchand was an integral piece to the team’s success on the ice, but also serves as a leader off the ice.
“You can have guys go down and still have success,” said Brad Marchand during a press conference on Friday. “There’s not one player that you rely on. There’s a team game that’s in place and allows you to have success. It doesn’t matter who is in or out. You see that with really good teams, they are able to find a way to win when guys go down.”
Aaron Ekblad, who is the longest-tenured Panther behind Barkov, also re-signed with the team this offseason and will be a big part of replacing Barkov’s leadership duties. Along with Ekblad, the Panthers’ roster boasts a number of veterans with previous leadership experience.
While the Barkov injury is a big loss for a team that relies on his two-way game and captaincy, the Panthers have the right pieces in place to not miss a beat next season as they chase a three-peat.
