Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov expected to miss 6-8 weeks with injury 

Even more bad news in the Sunshine State.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury, according to coach Paul Maurice.

Barkov suffered an apparent injury to his left knee last Thursday, when the Panthers were on the road against the San Jose Sharks. In the second period, the Finnish center was knocked down by Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse. When falling to the ice, Barkov’s leg buckled underneath him, sending him into immediate distress. Barkov limped off the ice in frustration before heading down the tunnel to Florida’s dressing room. He wouldn’t return to the game.

Barkov was later placed on long-term injured reserve on Saturday. Per the NHL’s rules, the earliest the 31-year-old could return to the lineup would be Nov. 27, when the Cats pay a visit to the Winnipeg Jets. However, with the updated timeline, Barkov could be out of action until the Christmas season, if not the New Year.

The latest injury comes after Barkov missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing both his ACL and MCL during training camp last fall. He was able to return for the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship in the spring, helping Finland take home the gold medal. Many hoped a healthy Barkov could lead the Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and a deep postseason run. However, with another lower-body injury and the absence of their captain for the next couple of months, there’s concern about what Florida will be able to accomplish without Barkov in the lineup.

Barkov went pointless through the first two games of the season, as the Cats picked up an overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes to start the 2026-27 campaign, but fell to the Sharks in overtime after Barkov’s exit. Florida also lost to the Anaheim Ducks in overtime on Sunday night.

The Panthers are back in action on Tuesday night, wrapping up their California road trip against the Los Angeles Kings.