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Florida Panthers Begin Life Without Barkov at Anaheim

The Panthers need to make up for the loss of their captain
David Eversole|
Sep 29, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) talks to center Aleksander Barkov (16) during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) talks to center Aleksander Barkov (16) during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the second consecutive season the Florida Panthers were struck with an early gut punch as they once again lost their captain Sasha Barkov to a lower body injury.

Thankfully the early prognosis is better for the Panthers' captain this time as Barkov was placed on the long-term injury reserve (LTIR) list which means he will miss a minimum of ten games and 24 days.

Barkov missed all of last season after a severe knee injury during training camp, and to lose the heart and soul of the franchise early again is certainly unfortunate. As the saying goes however, "the show must go on".

The Panthers play their first full game without Barkov Sunday evening when they visit the Anaheim Ducks to continue their California portion of the road trip.

Revenge should be on the mind of the Panthers in Anaheim as the Ducks swept Florida in two meetings last season, including a 7-3 loss at the Honda Center in a penalty-filled affair.

Paul Maurice rolled out a new combination in the first line during Saturday's practice, while leaving the second and third lines as they have been for the opening two games.

The Panthers will once again be the home opener for an opponent and the Ducks are coming off a 4-3 win at Vegas. Anaheim jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two periods before Vegas scored three times in the final period to make things interesting.

Anaheim struggled to put pucks on the net in their season opener at Vegas. The Ducks spent just 36.8% of the time in the offensive zone per NHL EDGE stats, which is below the early season average league-wide of 40.3%.

Meanwhile the Panthers have spent 44.3 percent of their time in the offensive zone through two games, and bounced back to steal a point in a tough overtime loss Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Expect a wide open, physical game for the Panthers and Ducks Sunday, in the last meeting the teams combined for 27 penalty minutes in the third period alone.

The Ducks scored two power plays in that game, but in the first two games the penalty kill for the Panthers has been excellent. The Panthers have only allowed one power play goals in ten shorthanded situations so far.

Florida should have some extra jump in Anaheim with an extra day off since their last game on Sunday. The Panthers are wounded after losing their captain and will look to take out some anger against a Ducks team that handled them last season.

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David Eversole
DAVID EVERSOLE

David Eversole has covered local sports in South Florida for over a decade, starting with his independent site the Miami Sports Wave (MSW). He joined Five Reasons Sports in the early days with a YouTube show based on MSW called the Miami Sports Break, and has contributed as a producer, host, and guest on multiple Five Reasons outlets. David has produced hundreds of shows for the network - including PrizePicks daily fantasy content and shows covering the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and Miami Hurricanes. In 2026, David returned to his writing roots to cover the Florida Panthers for Sports Illustrated online. David is a lifelong Floridian and currently lives with his family in Delray Beach.

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