What was destined to be a magical season for the Florida Panthers is now in danger of becoming a nightmare year. With captain Aleksander Barkov injured long-term, Brad Marchand and the Cats will have to face adversity early on in the NHL.
It isn’t the start Florida envisioned for its 2025–26 NHL season. Now, the Panthers have no choice but to be resilient. It won’t be the first time—nor the last—that the reigning Stanley Cup champions are put to the test this year. Marchand and company knew that coming into preseason, but the stakes have only risen higher now.
With Barkov’s recovery expected to take all of the regular season—and possibly the Stanley Cup Playoffs—the pressure is on Marchand and the Panthers to keep the wagon afloat in the NHL. On that note, the leading veteran presence in Sunrise issued a powerful statement.
“You can have guys go down and still have success,” Brad Marchand said during a press conference. “There’s not one player that you rely on. There’s a team game that’s in place and allows you to have success. It doesn’t matter who is in or out. You see that with really good teams, they are able to find a way to win when guys go down.”
Exhibit A
Obviously, losing the arguably best player on the team and captain is far from ideal. No matter how much a team can learn from such adversity, the Panthers would much rather be better off with their lineup fully healthy. Still, this is the hand Florida has been dealt for the upcoming NHL season.
If any team in the league has grown accustomed to overcoming key absences, it’s the Panthers. Still, missing two stars like Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk to open the campaign might be too much, even for them.
Third time is the charm
The hopes of a Stanley Cup three-peat have taken a big blow in Broward County. It was never going to be easy, though—there’s a reason no franchise has accomplished such a feat since the NHL introduced the salary cap. Still, the Cats like their chances, even when the odds are stacked against them.
SURVEY Who will be the best player for Florida with Tkachuk and Barkov missing considerable time?
Who will be the best player for Florida with Tkachuk and Barkov missing considerable time?
already voted 34 fans
In fact, that might be when Florida believes in itself the most. As it stands, every team is coming for the Panthers’ crown. The Cats won’t back down from a fight, even when there’s no safety in numbers or the captain can’t be on the ice to help out.