ANAHEIM – The Florida Panthers will be without their captain when they continue their season-opening trip with a battle against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Sunday.
Injured during the second period of Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss at San Jose, Aleksander Barkov has landed on LTIR and will miss at least the next 10 games and 24 days for Florida.
In his absence, the Panthers will be counting on others to step up.
"There's lots of faith on the bench, behind the bench, when you lose an important player,” coach Paul Maurice said. “We've got good players here, and we should be able to handle it."
Sitting at 1-0-1, the Panthers, much as it was against the high-flying Sharks, know they’ll face another quick team in Anaheim.
Opening their season on the road, the Ducks built up a 4-0 lead and then had to hold on to squeak out a tight 4-3 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Friday.
“Great transition game,” Maurice said. “Whether it's breakaways or rush goals, they're dynamic at that. I thought their young defense played very, very well, especially closing that game out [at Vegas] because the risk profiles change. I thought they handled that really well. But the Western Conference in general plays quite a bit different style of hockey than it's played in the East. I think we'll see something that looks more like San Jose's game.”
For more information on tonight’s game, continue below.
EYE ON THE CATS
ELLER MOVES UP: In Barkov’s absence, Lars Eller has been getting the most reps in his spot, centering a line with Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart both to close out Tuesday’s game at San Jose and during Saturday’s practice. Joining the Panthers on a one-year contract in July, the 18-year NHL veteran brings a wealth of experience to the lineup. In 1,186 career games, he’s recorded 440 points (193G, 247A) and won 50.5% of his faceoffs.
FORSLING UPDATE: A late scratch prior to Tuesday’s game against the Sharks due to an upper-body injury, Gustav Forsling is a game-time decision to suit up against the Ducks. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and a defensive pillar on Florida’s top pair, Forsling has registered 221 points (60G, 161A) and a +154 plus/minus rating in 558 career NHL games.
CALL-UPS: The Panthers made two roster moves on Saturday, calling up defenseman Alexander Petrovic and forward Sam Lafferty from the AHL. Petrovic has tallied 60 points (7G, 53A) in 323 career NHL games, while Lafferty has logged 92 points (41G, 51A) over 378 career NHL games.
EETU GOALS: Eetu Luostarinen is carrying a hot stick into Sunday’s tilt against the Ducks. Finding the back of the net twice in San Jose, the two-way forward sparked Florida’s late-game comeback. Over the previous four seasons, he’s surpassed the 10-goal mark three times, including netting 11 in 2025-26.
FIVE KEY STATS
- The Panthers have killed off nine of their first 10 penalties this season.
- The Panthers have posted a 9-1-2 record in their last 11 games vs. Anaheim.
- Since 2023-24, Carter Verhaeghe leads Florida with five points (2G, 3A) vs. the Ducks.
- Sam Bennett has notched a team-high 10 hits.
- The Panthers rank fourth in the NHL with 84 hits.
OPPOSITION OUTLOOK
- Leo Carlsson led the Ducks with two points (1G, 1A) in their season-opening win over the Knights. The highest-paid player in the NHL this season, the 21-year-old center signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with Anaheim in July.
- After spending two seasons with the Panthers, A.J. Greer signed a four-year contract with the Ducks as a free agent in July. A Stanley Cup champion in 2025, the 29-year-old forward recorded 49 points (23G, 26A) in 159 games with Florida.
- Radko Gudas, who returned to the Panthers on a six-year deal this summer, spent the previous three seasons with the Ducks. For his final two seasons in Anaheim, the 36-year-old defenseman served as the team’s captain.
- Lukas Dostal, who might get the nod against the Panthers, made 27 saves to backstop the Ducks to a win at Vegas on Friday. The 26-year-old goaltender hit the 30-win mark for the first time in 2025-26, going 30-20-4 with a .888 save percentage.
- Cutter Gauthier has scored four goals in four career games against the Panthers. Signed to a six-year, $81 million contract extension on Sept. 15, the 22-year-old forward set new career-highs in goals (41), assists (28) and points (69) last season.
THEY SAID IT
“I thought he did a brilliant job of adjusting coming off the fourth line into a top-nine role last year and not adjusting his game. A big man that can shoot the puck and can skate, run his routes, and he just he was able to do that.” – Paul Maurice on A.J. Greer
“Tremendous honor being able to speak for the organization or speak for the team or represent them in certain situations. Just really one of the greatest honors of my career. I'm really happy that they thought of me this way. Hopefully I left some positive notes behind, and the guys think of me.” – Radko Gudas on his time as Anaheim’s captain
“I'm going to try to complement my linemates as good as I can. No one's going to be able to replace Sasha Barkov, and I’m not trying to. I'm just trying to play to my own identity and complement my linemates. I'm playing with really good players no matter what, and I welcome that opportunity.” – Lars Eller on embracing an increased role
PROJECTED ROSTER
Check back following Florida’s pre-game media availability at 5:30 p.m. ET
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Oct. 3: F Sam Lafferty and D Alexander Petrovic recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Sunday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Honda Center – Anaheim, CA
TV & Streaming: How to Watch
Radio: 560 WQAM-AM (Dade/Broward); TBD (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH-FM (Florida Keys); Panthers GameDay App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Find a Place to Watch: Cats on Tap
Special Offer: Stream tonight’s game from home or on the go with Panthers Plus! Right now, fans can enjoy the streaming service for one week free of charge. To register now, click HERE or search for “Panthers Plus” on iOS or Android.
