The injuries keep piling up for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will be out for five months after having surgery for an upper-body injury. He was hurt in the second game of this season and had averaged 19 minutes a game last season.
“We’re not allowing any short-term injuries this year,” coach Paul Maurice quipped.
The Panthers are already without captain Aleksander Barkov, who had surgery during training camp to repair his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament and is expected to miss seven to nine months.
Winger Matthew Tkachuk is still recovering from offseason surgery for a torn adductor muscle. He is expected to be out until at least December. Fourth-liner Tomas Nosek has yet to play and is also out long-term.
Kulikov’s injury gives more opportunity to defenseman Uvis Balinskis, who played 76 games last season but sat out the first two games of 2025-26.
The Panthers also claimed defenseman Donovan Sebrango off waivers from the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
Despite the injuries, the Panthers opened 3-0 before losing on Monday, Oct. 13, to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Other injury updates from around the NHL on Wednesday:
Jacob Markstrom injury update
The New Jersey Devils No. 1 goaltender is out two weeks with a lower-body injury. He was hurt near the end of Monday’s game but finished up. He had entered in the third period because starter Jake Allen was cramping.
The team called up goalie Nico Daws. Allen is good to go.
Lucas Raymond injury update
The Detroit Red Wings top-line forward will sit out Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury. He’s day-to-day. He was checked into the boards by Toronto’s Chris Tanev on Monday.
Raymond, who had missed only eight games in his career, had two goals and an assist in three games this season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dmitry Kulikov injury update: Florida Panthers defenseman has surgery
