Panthers injury wave
Florida’s roster is riddled with injuries — Aaron Ekblad (broken hand), Dmitry Kulikov (hit to the face), Aleksander Barkov (torn ACL) and Sam Reinhart (broken foot) — yet the club remains a contender despite the attrition. The injury report raises questions about depth heading into the postseason window. (x.com)(x.com)
Aaron Ekblad tied Aleksander Barkov for the Panthers’ franchise games-played mark (804) during the same stretch in which he left Tuesday’s game and coach Paul Maurice said the situation “doesn’t look good.” (floridahockeynow.com) Captain Aleksander Barkov underwent surgery Sept. 26, 2025 to repair torn ACL and MCL in his right knee and the club placed his recovery window at roughly seven to nine months. (nhl.com) Florida announced via team reporting that Sam Reinhart is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025–26 season; Reinhart finished the year with 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games. (rotowire.com) Dmitry Kulikov previously had shoulder labrum surgery on Oct. 15, 2025 and was given an approximately five-month timetable to return. (nhl.com) After returning from that surgery in March, Kulikov took a puck to the face in the Panthers’ March 31 game and was sent for a CT scan to determine the extent of the new injury. (rotowire.com) To plug a suddenly thin blueline the Panthers recalled defensemen Tobias Björnfot and Mikuláš Hovorka from AHL Charlotte on Wednesday. (nhl.com) Florida sits with 73 points through 73 games as the regular season winds down, leaving nine games remaining and the club positioned outside the Eastern Conference wild‑card bracket. (nhl.com)
