TheFlorida Panthers' quest for a rare three-peat was almost over before it started.
The two-time defending champions were already without Matthew Tkachuk because of offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia that he played through during the playoffs.
Then, on the first day of fall practice, captain Aleksander Barkov, a three-time Selke Trophy winner as top defensive forward,tore his ACL.
That was a major blow after an offseason in which general managerBill Zito defied the oddsand got Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed.
Instead of the Panthers pushing for the NHL's first three-peat since the 1980s, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after a9-4defeat against thePittsburgh Penguinson April 4.
Normally, a team with Barkov's situation would place him on long-term injured reserve and bring in someone, but the newly enactedplayoff salary capmakes that tougher to pull off.
The Panthers opened the season with three consecutive wins then lost four in a row as the injuries piled up.
Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov had surgery for an upper-body injury in mid-October with an estimated recovery time of five months.
"We're not allowing any short-term injuries this year," coach Paul Maurice quipped at the time.
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Eetu Luostarinen missed eight games with burns after a"barbecuing mishap."Seth Jones missed 2½ months afterbeing hit with a puckat the Winter Classic. Marchand missed 11 games in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Tkachuk was able to return on Jan. 19 and the Panthers got to a season-best eight games above .500 (three points out of a playoff spot) on Jan. 25 before they fell again.
After the Olympics, in which the Panthers sent a league-best nine players, the Panthers began shutting down injured players,including Marchand. And Niko Mikkola, Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues suffered long-term injuries recently.
"The most dangerous job in sports right now is to play for theFlorida Panthers," Maurice told reporters.
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina's Jalen Chatfield." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin's helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals' Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
What did the Florida Panthers accomplish?
Now that the Panthers are out of the playoffs, here's a look back at what they accomplished in recent years:
Won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22 but lost in the second round.
Traded for Tkachuk in July 2022, recovered from a 3-1 series deficit against the record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round and reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996. They lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Won the Atlantic Division title in 2023-24 and captured their first Stanley Cup title, beating the Edmonton Oilers in the final.
Won four rounds in the 2025 playoffs despite lacking home-ice advantage and beat Edmonton again for back-to-back titles.
What's next for the Florida Panthers?
The Panthers' position near the bottom of the NHL standings will be advantageous. They moved their 2026 first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Jones, but it's top 10 protected so they should be able to hang onto it. This draft is considered deep.
Florida moved Jeff Petry at the trade deadline but retained Sergei Bobrovsky and other pending unrestricted free agents and will try to re-sign them.
The Panthers had played 12 playoff rounds in the last three years, plus had heavy representation in the 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics. A season out of the playoffs will help them rest and heal.
Once Barkov returns, the Panthers will automatically be better. IfBobrovsky re-signsand returns to form and Florida is able to avoid this season's spate of injuries, it should be a Stanley Cup threat again.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Panthers eliminated from NHL playoff contention; why champs are out