Fri Sep 26 15:50:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Florida Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov Potentially Out for Season After Knee Surgery**
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers’ quest for a third consecutive Stanley Cup faces a major setback as team captain Aleksander Barkov could miss the entire regular season due to a knee injury. Barkov sustained the injury during training camp practice on Thursday and underwent surgery on Friday, according to Coach Paul Maurice.
The injury is expected to sideline the star center for several months, jeopardizing his season and dashing his hopes of representing Finland at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics.
“I know the idea is next man up,” Maurice said, “There isn’t a next man to fill Barky’s skates.”
Barkov, who led the Panthers in assists (51) and was second in points (71) last season, has been a cornerstone of the team for 12 seasons. The loss of Barkov, Florida’s franchise leader in several categories, comes as another blow as forward Matthew Tkachuk is also recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle. Tkachuk is expected to be out of play until December.
The Panthers have played only five games without either Barkov or Tkachuk since 2022, winning three of them.
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