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The Panthers must be breathing a little easier.
Because according to the latest reports… Aleksander Barkov seems to have avoided the worst.
Imagine if he'd had to sit out the entire season, as was the case in '25–'26!
Armando Velez, who covers the Panthers via a podcast (Locked On Panthers), shared on X that Barkov is expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks due to his injury, which would allow him to return to action around Christmas or New Year's.
If that's the case, it would be good news for the Florida club.
Just been told that Aleksander Barkov's injury will sideline him for 10 to 12 weeks.
That timeline would have him returning around Christmas or New Year's.
#FLAPanthers
— Armando Velez (@Mandoman12) October 5, 2026
I say “if that's the case” because there's no official confirmation on that yet. That said…
That said, Elliotte Friedman addressed the topic this afternoon (in connection with Armando Velez's post) on Sportsnet and said this:
I saw a report saying that Barkov is expected to miss up to 12 weeks. I can't confirm that… but I can assure you that he avoided the worst. – Elliotte Friedman
Everything seems to indicate, then, that the news is fairly reassuring under the circumstances for the Panthers' captain.
Of course, management and fans in Florida would have preferred to avoid all of this… but oh well. At least they won't have to worry about Barkov missing another full season, and that's what matters in the end.
We know just how important he is to the team, after all. We saw it in '25–'26: he didn't play a single game, and the Panthers—who had to deal with other injuries—finished the season ranked 25th in the NHL standings…
In a nutshell
– That would have been nice.
Alexander Zharovsky #Habs fakes the between-the-legs move, but the goalie recovers and makes the save at the post. #GoHabsGo https://t.co/qXfTeiMUpw
— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) October 5, 2026
– That's crazy.
Where has the time gone?
https://t.co/RX9Vz7vrrm
— BarDown (@BarDown) October 5, 2026
– Yeah.
The Habs beating the Canes but losing to the Red Wings would be very on-brand, wouldn't it?
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 5, 2026
– Read more:
We just spoke with Kyt Selaidopoulos, FC Supra's new head coach, 48 hours before a crucial game in Toronto.
– Kyt reiterated that the goal is to lay the groundwork for the 2027 season, not to make the playoffs. However, he's a competitor, and like all players, he has that secondary goal—let's put it that way.
“You say the door is open? No, it's closed. If it opens, that'll be a nice bonus.”
– David Choinière and Keesan Ferdinand are day-to-day. They're feeling better, but the Supra isn't going to rush anything. Keesan could make the 18-man roster, according to Kyt.
– Mathis Chrétien will be suspended on Wednesday. I'm willing to believe that Charles Auguste earned a spot on the CPL's All-Star Team of the Week—and that the coach had good things to say about him—but the game in Toronto will be a challenge. Kyt, in fact, expects a tough, complicated, and very close game.
– An 11:00 a.m. game is always something special.
“This will be my first road trip with the team. I don't think the time is ideal, but we'll have to adjust. The players aren't always physically and mentally ready to play at that time, even if they usually practice then.”
– Kyt hasn't yet decided whether he'll rely more on consistency or “rotating the lineup” in Toronto, but he's aiming for the 3 points. His answers give me the impression that he'll lean more toward consistency than anything else.
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) October 5, 2026
– Interesting…
That's sure to add fuel to the fire. https://t.co/7gV8KlRCJc https://t.co/IOEp4VxZDa
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) October 5, 2026
