Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has confirmed that Aleksander Barkov, Jonah Gadjovich, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Niko Mikkola, and Uvis Balinskis will not return this season. Cole Schwindt is the only possibility.
The Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators tonight, and following their game-day practice, coach Paul Maurice spoke to the media.
The two-time Stanley Cup Champion had plenty to say, mentioning that Sam Bennett would be returning to the lineup, Nolan Foote would be exiting, and that Daniil Tarasov would be in goal.
But the most important topic may have been the updates on several injured players.
Maurice said that the only injured player he thinks has a chance of returning to game action is Cole Schwindt, who has been on the LTIR with a lower-body injury since Feb. 26. Schwindt has not yet practiced in contact. However, there are still nine games left in the season, so he has some leeway to get healthy and play again.
These comments now confirm that Aleksander Barkov, Jonah Gadjovich, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Niko Mikkola, and Uvis Balinskis will not play again this season.
Maurice confirmed that Barkov would not return to game action over the weekend, and, given the timelines for Rodrigues, Balinskis, and Mikkola, the understanding was that they would not return either.
For Gadjovich, it’s a tough pill to swallow. The 27-year-old sustained his injury after 10 games and was never able to recover fully. The plan was for him to return after the Olympics, but due to setbacks or the injury not healing quickly enough, his season ended.
For Reinhart, Lundell, and Marchand, they all returned from playing in the Olympics a little banged up, and after a few NHL regular-season games, their bodies weren’t able to handle the load. They had not been ruled out for the remainder of the season until now, but with the remaining games having little significance, it’s wise for the Panthers to let them rest and get healthy for the 2026-27 season.
It may feel like a wasted season, but if the Panthers play their cards right, they could use this season to regroup and come back stronger next year.
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