Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov set to miss time with injury

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald on Oct 3, 2026

Published in Hockey

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MIAMI — The Florida Panthers have placed captain and top-line center Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve following his apparent left leg injury on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Exactly how much time Barkov will miss is still unclear, according to the Associated Press which first reported the news Saturday, but placing Barkov on LTIR means he is out for either 10 games or 24 days, whichever is longer. That means the earliest Barkov can return is the team’s game on Oct. 27 at the Winnipeg Jets.

ESPN reported there is “optimism” Barkov’s injury isn’t season-ending.

The Panthers are scheduled to practice in Anaheim at 4 p.m. Saturday, with coach Paul Maurice set to speak after the skate.

Barkov, who missed all of the 2025-26 season due to an injury to the ACL and MCL in his right knee, fell to the ice after a battle on the boards with Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse and forward Zack Ostapchuk a little more than eight minutes into the middle frame at SAP Center as his left leg buckled.

After being down briefly on the ice, Barkov immediately went to the team’s dressing room, walking under his own power but with a noticeable limp. Barkov threw his gloves in visible frustration as he left the ice.

Placing Barkov on LTIR will free up about $4 million in cap space for the Panthers to fill out the roster in Barkov’s absence.

Barkov is just one injured player the Panthers are monitoring early in the season. Defenseman Gustav Forsling was a late scratch for Thursday’s game against San Jose. Veteran forward Brad Marchand is slated to miss the month of October while recovering from late offseason surgery. And forward Jonah Gadjovich is already on long-term injured reserve.