- Aleksander Barkov says his repaired right knee is a non-issue heading into camp
- The Panthers captain missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL
- Read below for what Barkov said about Markstrom and Brady Tkachuk
Aleksander Barkov is done thinking about his knee.
Florida’s captain spoke Tuesday at the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, almost exactly a year after he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee on the opening day of training camp. He had surgery the next day and sat out the entire season.
Barkov was asked whether the knee was still in his head once he got back into a real game. It wasn’t, he told Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com.
“That was the main worry, that if I will be able to play free and not to think too much, and once the first game started, I wasn’t thinking about it at all.”
Take a look at Barky and Brady on the media tour set:
That first game came in May. Barkov captained Finland at the World Championship in Switzerland and put up 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 10 games as the Finns won gold for the first time in four years.
He said the tournament changed the way he feels about the season ahead.
“I have a better feeling going toward this camp knowing that I played some hockey, meaningful hockey, and felt good there.”
Without him, the Panthers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and a three-peat bid died one year after back-to-back Cups. The 31-year-old is two seasons removed from a 71-point year and his third Selke Trophy. We laid out the rest of the roster in our Panthers outlook for 2026-27.
Barkov also got a question about Sergei Bobrovsky, who left for Toronto on a three-year deal after seven years and two rings in Florida:
Jacob Markstrom takes the crease instead, and he is no stranger. He broke into the league with Florida and was around for Barkov’s rookie year in 2013-14.
“I know him really well from that time and when I first saw him back here, it feels like he never left,” Barkov said.
Brady Tkachuk was asked what it’s like to line up with Barkov instead of against him, and he couldn’t get the number high enough.
“I don’t even think 10 out of 10 can describe (how happy I am). Every day in practice, I’m just watching him, learning, just trying to emulate what he does,” Tkachuk said.
Camp opens Sept. 17 on a shortened schedule under the new CBA, and Florida starts the season Sept. 29 in Carolina against the reigning champion Hurricanes. Barkov plans to be on the ice for both.
