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Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov Helped Off Ice After Suffering Concerning Injury

Aleksander Barkov suffered an injury during practice on Thursday.

Karl Rasmussen

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov sustained an injury at practice during the preseason.
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov sustained an injury at practice during the preseason. / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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The Florida Panthers are hoping to join an exclusive list of NHL teams to win three straight Stanley Cups, but their title defense may have taken an early blow. Team captain and star forward Aleksander Barkov suffered a leg injury during Thursday's practice that required him to be helped off the ice by trainers.

The team didn't have a detailed update on the nature of Barkov's injury, only that the medical staff intended to examine it further. Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects indicated that it "sounds like there’s internal concern it could involve his ACL."

Footage of the play in which Barkov sustained the injury can be seen below:

Barkov is a vital part of the Panthers' success. One of the best, if not the single best two-way player in hockey, the Finland native has won back-to-back Selke awards during Florida's run as champions.

Last year, Barkov had 71 points in 67 games, including 20 goals. It was his 10th straight season with at least 20 goals and 50 total points. Already expected to be without Matthew Tkachuk for much of the upcoming campaign, losing Barkov for an extended period of time would be a big loss for the Panthers.

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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.

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