What was destined to be a magical season for the Florida Panthers is now in danger of becoming a nightmare year. With captain Aleksander Barkov injured long-term, Brad Marchand and the Cats will have to face adversity early on in the NHL.

It isn’t the start Florida envisioned for its 2025–26 NHL season. Now, the Panthers have no choice but to be resilient. It won’t be the first time—nor the last—that the reigning Stanley Cup champions are put to the test this year. Marchand and company knew that coming into preseason, but the stakes have only risen higher now.

With Barkov’s recovery expected to take all of the regular season—and possibly the Stanley Cup Playoffs—the pressure is on Marchand and the Panthers to keep the wagon afloat in the NHL. On that note, the leading veteran presence in

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