The 2024-25 NHL season is officially underway with a few games in the books. While the season has barely begun, there’s a large amount of players that are already on the injured list.
The start of the season has proven costly for the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, as center and team captain Aleksander Barkov suffered a lower body injury trying to prevent an empty-net goal in the closing moments of Florida’s 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on October 9. Speaking to reporters, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice estimated that Barkov would be sidelined two to three weeks, with a chance to return to the ice by the team’s early November NHL Global Series match in Finland if not sooner.
Plus, No. 1 overall pick for the San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini is also injured and headed to the IR. Celebrini will miss at least the next two games after suffering a lower-body injury in training camp that has bothered him to start the year.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is one of the biggest names currently out of the lineup. Demko is currently dealing with a knee injury that has hampered him since the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Game 1 of Vancouver’s opening-round series against the Nashville Predators, Demko injured his knee and wasn’t able to return at any point in the postseason. It was recently revealed the Canucks netminder will miss three-to-four weeks, so he could return to the ice in early November.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog also is continuing to work his way back from injury. It’s been a long road for Landeskog, who hasn’t played since the 2022 postseason. Landeskog underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022. It was initially announced that Landeskog would miss the opening 12 weeks of the 2022-23 season, but he eventually ended up missing the entire campaign.
After revealing that the Colorado captain wouldn’t take part in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team announced he needed cartilage transplant surgery and would miss the entire 2023-24 season. Landeskog continues to rehabilitate his knee, but it’s unclear when he could return to the ice.
Here is a list of many of the marquee players that are currently sidelined due to injury.
John Gibson (G)
Type of Injury: Appendectomy surgery
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Early November 2024
Last Played: 4/12/2024
Yegor Sharangovich (C)
Type of Injury: Lower-body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Unknown
Last Played: 10/4/2024
Colorado Avalanche
Gabriel Landeskog
Type of Injury: Knee
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Unknown
Last Played: 6/26/222
Artturi Lehkonen
Type of Injury: Shoulder surgery
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Unknown
Last Played: 5/17/24
Evander Kane (LW)
Type of Injury: Hip, hernia surgeries
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: February 2025
Last Played: 6/10/24
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov (C)
Type of Injury: Lower Body
Injured Reserve: No
Approximate Return Date: Late October-Early November
Last Played: 10/9/24
Drew Doughty (D)
Type of Injury: Ankle surgery
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Unknown
Last Played: 9/25/24
Luke Hughes (D)
Type of Injury: Shoulder
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Early November 2024
Last Played: 4/15/24
Brett Pesce (D)
Type of Injury: Fractured fibula
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: October 2024
Last Played: 4/22/24
Bryan Rust (RW)
Type of Injury: Lower-body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: October 2024
Last Played: 10/1/24
Torey Krug (D)
Type of Injury: Ankle surgery
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: 2025-26 season
Last Played: 4/10/24
San Jose Sharks
Macklin Celebrini (C)
Type of Injury: Lower body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: October 2024
Last Played: 10/10/24
Calle Jarnkrok (C)
Type of Injury: Lower-body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Late October 2024
Last Played: 9/22/24
Nick Bjugstad (C)
Type of Injury: Upper-body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Early November 2024
Last Played: 4/7/24
John Marino (D)
Type of Injury: Upper-body
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Mid-October 2024
Last Played: 4/15/24
Vancouver Canucks
Thatcher Demko (G)
Type of Injury: Knee
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Late October 2024
Last Played: 4/21/24
Dakota Joshua (C)
Type of Injury: Recovery from testicular cancer
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: Late October 2024
Last Played: 5/20/24
William Karlsson (C)
Type of Injury: Undisclosed
Injured Reserve: Yes
Approximate Return Date: October 2024
Last Played: 5/5/24
As the 2024-25 NHL season gets underway, fans are eagerly anticipating the return of their favorite players to the ice. However, there are a few key players who will be sidelined at the start of the season due to injuries. Among them are Aleksander Barkov and Macklin Celebrini.
Aleksander Barkov, the captain of the Florida Panthers, is one of the most talented forwards in the league. Unfortunately, he suffered a lower-body injury during training camp and is expected to be out for the first few weeks of the season. This is a significant blow to the Panthers, as Barkov is a key player on both ends of the ice and plays a crucial role in their success.
Macklin Celebrini, a defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, is also dealing with an injury that will keep him out of action at the start of the season. Celebrini suffered a shoulder injury during a preseason game and is currently rehabbing in hopes of returning to the lineup soon. The Canucks will miss his defensive prowess and leadership on the blue line while he is sidelined.
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in professional sports, and they can have a major impact on a team’s performance. Losing key players like Barkov and Celebrini can disrupt a team’s chemistry and force other players to step up and fill the void. It will be important for the Panthers and Canucks to adjust their game plans and find ways to win without these key players in the lineup.
As fans eagerly await the return of Barkov and Celebrini, they can take solace in knowing that both players are working hard to recover from their injuries and get back on the ice as soon as possible. In the meantime, other players will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and make an impact for their teams in the early part of the season.
Injuries are a part of sports, but with hard work and determination, players like Barkov and Celebrini will hopefully make a full recovery and return to the ice stronger than ever. Until then, fans will have to wait patiently for their return and support their teams as they navigate through the challenges of the early part of the season.
