Aleksander Barkov on the LTIR: Lars Eller is the Panthers’ new starting center

Félix Forget
Aleksander Barkov on the LTIR: Lars Eller is the Panthers’ new starting center
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

On Thursday night, the Panthers saw Aleksander Barkov get injured. The team's captain, who missed the entire 2025–26 season due to a knee injury, injured his knee again after taking a strange fall.

It's not the same knee… but it's still very concerning.

And today, we learned that Barkov is heading to the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) list. That means he'll miss at least 10 games, but the Panthers' medical staff will reevaluate the Finnish player on Monday. It's likely that his knee is too swollen right now to get a clear diagnosis.

That said, life goes on for the Panthers, who must find ways to replace Barkov. And today, at practice, we got a glimpse of who the team's new first-line center is.

We're talking about none other than Lars Eller, a familiar face in Montreal.

Obviously, this comes as a surprise. At 37, Eller has never put up the offensive numbers of a first-line center (he recorded 15 points in 68 games last year)… but the Panthers probably think that, in the short term, the Dane's responsible 200-foot play can fill in… especially since, with Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart on his line, he won't need to be the offensive engine of the unit.

But let's just say it puts things into perspective: Alex Newhook (or Oliver Kapanen) as the second-line center in Montreal isn't so bad after all.

That said, even if Barkov ends up on the LTIR, there's currently some optimism within the Panthers that the captain could return to action this season. It's not set in stone, but it's still reassuring for the team.

But of course, one can imagine that the Panthers, in the event that Barkov has to miss the entire season (or a significant portion of it), will eventually make a move. And of course, it's hard not to think of a certain Red Wings player.

Perhaps right now, Eller is just there to hold the spot until Barkov returns… or until Dylan Larkin arrives.


Extension

It's worth noting that when asked what tests would be performed on Barkov, the Panthers' coach still managed to find a way to laugh it off. He pointed out that he's not a doctor and has no idea, but that he thinks the medical staff will use magic crystals to treat him.

That's classic Paul Maurice.

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