Barkov is back, Brady Tkachuk is in, and Jacob Markstrom owns the crease as Panthers open camp

The Florida Panthers opened 2026-27 training camp at Baptist Health IcePlex on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a 51-man roster — 30 forwards, 16 defensemen and five goaltenders — announced by president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito.

Barkov is healthy again

Aleksander Barkov missed all of last season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. He was back on the ice at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday, Sept. 20, for the preseason opener against Carolina — his first game in Sunrise since Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final — skating between Sam Reinhart and Brady Tkachuk.

"I don't really coach Barky, I just kind of cheer," head coach Paul Maurice said. "What is important is that he's got a new left winger. As Sam Reinhart will tell you, he's got two new linemates."

The Tkachuk brothers, finally teammates

Brady Tkachuk, acquired from Ottawa in a June blockbuster, went through his first Panthers practice with nerves he did not bother hiding.

"I was definitely really nervous, I'm not going to lie to you," he said. "A lot of nervous energy. It's a short camp, so every moment means so much."

He put up 59 points (22G, 37A) in 60 games with the Senators last season. He and Matthew are the sixth pair of brothers to play for the Panthers.

A new goalie for the first time in seven years

Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million contract with Toronto on July 1 after the two sides could not agree on a new deal. Florida had already moved a day before free agency, trading with New Jersey for Jacob Markstrom — the goalie the Panthers drafted in 2008 and dealt in the 2014 Roberto Luongo trade. Akira Schmid came over as well.

"I don't need to tell you guys how great of a person, how great of a teammate, a player, a goalie, he was for us," Barkov said of Bobrovsky. "It's very sad to see him go. Of course, it's part of this business sometimes."

Who is not available

Maurice said Brad Marchand, who had surgery in August, will rehab through all of October. Marchand had 54 points (27G, 27A) in 52 games last season. Jonah Gadjovich is out indefinitely as the team continues to look for answers following his November 2025 surgery.

The backdrop

Last season was a wipeout by this team's standards: 541 man-games lost to injury, no player appearing in all 82 games, and a playoff streak that ended after three straight trips to the Cup Final and back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. A healthy Barkov, a second Tkachuk and a settled crease are the three things that decide whether that was a blip.