Aleksander Barkov out six to eight weeks with leg injury

Fantasy hockey: Barkov is on injured reserve and cannot play. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen are in line to take his minutes and power-play time.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 6, 2026

Aleksander Barkov is on injured reserve and cannot play. The Panthers captain sustained a leg injury in Florida's second game of the season against San Jose and is facing a six-to-eight-week recovery, head coach Paul Maurice announced Tuesday. Barkov will not require surgery but has been placed on long-term injured reserve, keeping him out for at least 10 games.

The injury removes a elite center from fantasy lineups for the next month and a half. Barkov averaged 1.11 points per game in his recent sample with strong power-play production (0.43 per game) while logging 20:20 a night. His first-unit power-play minutes (3:21 per game, most among all Panthers skaters) now open up for teammates.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Aleksander Barkov

Barkov is on injured reserve and cannot play, which drops his three-game week to zero for as long as he remains out. He averaged 1.11 points per game in his recent sample (0.31 goals, 0.80 assists) with 0.43 power-play points per game and 2.3 shots per game. He logged 20:20 a night and led all Panthers skaters with 3:21 of power-play time per game on the first unit.

Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen are the names to watch as his minutes and power-play time open up. Barkov's six-to-eight-week timeline means fantasy managers need to look elsewhere for production at center. He cannot be held in shallow formats with injured reserve limits, and even in deeper leagues he offers nothing until he is activated.

What to do

• Drop Barkov in shallow formats where his injured reserve spot is needed for active players.

• Stream Anton Lundell or Eetu Luostarinen in deeper formats if either picks up Barkov's power-play time.

• Monitor activation news in six weeks, but do not expect him back before mid-season.

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