Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov has knee surgery, out indefinitely

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (L) sustained a right knee injury at practice Thursday in Sunrise, Fla. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov underwent knee surgery Friday and is out indefinitely, coach Paul Maurice announced.

Barkov, who helped the Panthers win the last two Stanley Cups, sustained the right knee injury at practice Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"'Barky' is in surgery right now," Maurice said. "When he comes out, we'll get final information on how the surgery went and we will get you all the information and it will be pretty detailed.

"We'll be real transparent with it. That'll hopefully happen later today.''

The Panthers are already without forward Matthew Tkachuk and fourth-line center Tomas Nosek, both of whom had-season surgery.

Maurice moved second-line center Sam Bennett to the first line in Barkov's absence at Friday's practice. He joined wings Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart on that line.

Barkov, widely regarded as the best defensive forward in hockey, holds Panthers franchise records for goals (286), assists (496), points (782) and games played (804), He is a three-time Selke Trophy winner -- the award given to the NHL's best defensive forward.

Barkov led the Panthers with 51 assists last season. He totaled six goals and 16 assists for 22 points last postseason, when he corralled the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, in addition to other elite NHL scorers.

"There is no hiding it," Maurice said of Barkov. "That's a hole. That's the big man. He's such an important place in that locker room. What we're going to get to experience now is you'll get to know some of the other leaders that we have in our room. We'll get to see other players.

"At the end of the day, I know there's the idea of next man up, I get all that, but there's not a next man for Barky's skates."

The Panthers will host the Carolina Hurricanes in a preseason game at 6 p.m. EDT Monday in Sunrise, Fla. They will host the Chicago Blackhawks in their regular-season opener Oct. 7 at Amerant Bank Arena.