The Florida Panthers suffered a big setback before the new season. Captain Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL and MCL during practice after colliding with defenseman Niko Mikkola. He had surgery on his right knee on Friday and will miss seven to nine months. That timeline rules him out for most, if not all, of the regular season.NHL insider Elliotte Friedman tweeted on Friday that the Panthers are “bracing” to lose Barkov for the season."Going to know more in the next 24-48 hours, but Panthers are bracing for the possibility their captain, Aleksander Barkov, could be lost for the season," Friedman tweeted. "Would be brutal, no one wants to see that…but, unfortunately, was a bad injury."Nick Alberga quickly reacted on X, linking Florida to free agent Jack Roslovic.“Brutal. Panthers are signing Jack Roslovic, right?” Alberga wrote.Roslovic is a 28-year-old forward who last played with the Carolina Hurricanes. He scored 22 goals and added 17 assists in 2024-25, and can be a depth scoring option.Florida already faces injury problems with other key players. Matthew Tkachuk is out until at least December after adductor surgery in August. Fourth-line center Tomas Nosek is also sidelined with a long-term injury.Now, the Cats are going to begin their season against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 7. Without Barkov and Tkachuk, they may explore free agent options. Roslovic remains unsigned after finishing his contract worth $2.8 million. His speed and scoring could help fill Florida’s gaps. The team will need depth and leadership to stay competitive this year to defend their Cup.Panthers Management's comments on Aleksander Barkov's injuryThe Florida Panthers have won two straight Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025. This season, they were looking to make a run for their third Cup win, but it is going to be tough with all the injuries.General manager Bill Zito called Barkov’s loss “very hard.”"It's something we have to get over. It's a huge blow," Zito said on Saturday, via NHL.com. "It's going to be very hard."Coach Paul Maurice said there is no true replacement for Barkov’s role."There’s no hiding it, that’s a hole," Maurice said on Friday, after Barkov's injury. "That’s the big man, right? (Barky) has such an important place in that locker room. ...So, we've just got to share it. It's got to spread across the room and the coaches."Aleksander Barkov has been one of Florida's top offensive producers. Last season, he posted 71 points in 67 games and won his third Selke Trophy.