RALEIGH, N.C. - Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returns from a season-ending knee injury Tuesday when the Panthers open their 2026-27 campaign against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, with puck drop set for 5 p.m. ET.
Barkov, who missed all of last season after his final appearance April 14, 2025, is Florida’s all-time leader in goals (286), assists (496), points (782) and games played (804). The three-time Selke Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defensive forward will anchor a lineup that also features two other significant debuts. “I honestly feel like, even with these new guys, it feels like we’ve been together for a long time,” Barkov said. “I think it’s a great spot to come in, and they blend in really well. Starting on the road, you get to know them a little more.”
Brady Tkachuk, acquired from the Ottawa Senators in June, suits up as a Panther for the first time in the regular season. The 27-year-old power forward led Florida in preseason scoring with five points - three goals and two assists - across two games. In his time with Ottawa, Tkachuk paced the Senators with 213 goals, 463 assists and 463 points since his NHL debut in 2018. Free-agent signings Lars Eller, Garnet Hathaway and Boko Imama will also play their first regular-season games as Panthers, forming Florida’s fourth line against Carolina. Hathaway leads the NHL with 1,353 hits over the past five seasons.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk, who will face his brother Brady on the ice for the first time as opponents-turned-teammates, framed the matchup plainly. “Make playoffs. You can’t look too far ahead. You have to have a good start,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “We’ve just talked about that you worry about just making playoffs and that’s your only goal. That’s what we build our game for each year.”
The Panthers carry a 17-10-5 all-time record in season openers, a .609 points percentage that ranks fifth in the NHL. Last season they opened with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Head coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the weight of the matchup against a Hurricanes team that ended Florida’s run of back-to-back Cup titles in 2024 and 2025. “It’s a known opponent for us. To be playing an Eastern Conference team, that helps you. To be playing a former playoff opponent, that helps you,” Maurice said. “They just won the Stanley Cup, and they’re going to get their banner raised, and rightfully so in their building. It brings you back to a reminder of that juice.”
Carolina will be without forward Seth Jarvis, 24, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery after posting 66 points - 32 goals and 34 assists - in 71 games last season. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin, 24, is also not expected to play due to a contract dispute; he recorded 33 points in 81 games in 2025-26. Brandon Bussi, who went 31-6-2 with a .895 save percentage as a rookie last season, is expected to start in goal for Carolina. The Hurricanes have won five of their last six season openers.
Jacob Markstrom, returning for a second stint with Florida, is projected to start in net for the Panthers. He owns a .913 save percentage in 18 career games against Carolina. Florida posted an 88.9% penalty-kill success rate in the preseason. Sam Reinhart, who led all Panthers skaters with 61 points last season, and Sam Bennett, who has scored four goals in seven games against Carolina since 2023-24, round out the top two lines. The game airs on ESPN, with radio coverage on 104.3 WQAM-FM and 560 WQAM-AM in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.