Panthers star Barkov has surgery on ACL, MCL

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Florida skipper Aleksander Barkov needed country Friday to repair the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments successful his close knee, injuries that volition apt sideline him for the full regular play and perchance the playoffs arsenic the Panthers effort to triumph a 3rd consecutive Stanley Cup.

Barkov got wounded Thursday successful his archetypal authoritative signifier of grooming camp. He had country Friday and the Panthers said the emblematic timetable for betterment from specified a process is 7-9 months.

At minimum, that would suggest helium won't beryllium playing earlier the commencement of the playoffs. And it ends immoderate accidental of him representing his autochthonal Finland -- arsenic helium hoped and planned -- successful the Milan-Cortina Olympics this coming February.

"He's specified a important idiosyncratic successful that locker room," Panthers manager Paul Maurice said Friday. "I deliberation what we're going to get to acquisition present is you'll get to cognize immoderate of the different leaders that we person successful our room."

Barkov was wounded 20 minutes into practice, doing a elemental drill connected a play wherever helium took minimal contact.

"I cognize the thought is adjacent antheral up," Maurice said. "There's not a adjacent antheral for Barky's skates."

Barkov led the Panthers successful assists past play with 51 and was 2nd successful points with 71 -- past added six goals and 16 much assists successful the playoffs erstwhile Florida won its 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup.

Barkov has appeared successful much than 86% of each Florida games, including playoffs, successful his 12 NHL seasons. This is the archetypal clip he's dealt with thing that volition apt support him retired for an full season.

And now, the Panthers -- who person been to the past 3 Stanley Cup finals and played much games successful the past 3 seasons than immoderate squad successful a three-year span successful NHL past -- person to navigate different missing prima arsenic the play approaches.

In summation to Barkov, the Panthers besides volition beryllium without guardant Matthew Tkachuk portion helium recovers from offseason country to repair a torn adductor muscle. There is nary ceremonial people for Tkachuk's return; fixed the emblematic return-to-play timelines for specified procedures, it wouldn't look apt that helium plays successful immoderate games earlier December.

Since Tkachuk came to the Panthers successful 2022, Florida has played lone 5 games without either helium oregon Barkov successful the lineup - each past October, with the Panthers winning 3 of those 5 contests. And Tomas Nosek, who had a large relation successful past season's tally to the Cup title, is expected to miss sizeable clip with a genu injury.

"It's going to beryllium tough," Panthers guardant Carter Verhaeghe said erstwhile asked astir the Barkov quality Friday. "He's our person - there's nary replacing Barky. Everyone has to measurement up. There's nary replacing him, but it's different situation for our group. And we're usually beauteous bully astatine overcoming challenges."

Barkov is Florida's franchise person successful galore categories, with games played (804), goals (286), assists (496), points (782), power-play goals (84) and game-winning goals (52) among them.