Panthers' Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov Provide Injury Updates; Likely Won't Return This Month

Brad Marchand and Aleksander Barkov both went down with scary-looking knee injuries, but they have seemingly avoided the worst.

Given Barkov’s history of knee issues and the age- and injury-related struggles Marchand has faced lately, the initial thoughts were the worst. Fortunately, both Barkov and Marchand are expected to return this season.

Barkov and Marchand attended the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for the unveiling of a new Panthers-themed livery on a JetBlue Airbus A320 and provided updates on their recovery.

“I can’t say it’s this month, but probably within five weeks, six weeks,’’ Marchand started. “The injury could have been so much worse. I’ve never hurt my knee before; I didn’t know what to think when I went down. I thought it could be a career-ending type of thing, a season-ending thing.” 

The 38-year-old played just two games before going down with his injury, and before the season began, he needed surgery to address a lingering issue from last year.

As for Barkov, his six- to eight-week timeline would have him targeting a return by the end of November or early December, so he too is on a similar track as Marchand. 

“Hopefully, soon, both of us will be back,’’ Barkov said. “It has been great to share the experience with ‘Marchy,’ see what he does, how he gets ready. I like getting to know him better. I didn’t think I would ever say that.’’

Barkov, who missed all of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL and MCL, also played just two games before suffering his injury. The 31-year-old went down with a non-contact injury to the opposite knee, but thankfully avoided the worst.

Without Barkov and Marchand, the Panthers have still posted a 9-5-2 record, earning 20 points and sitting in fifth in the Atlantic Division. 

See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.