Overview
- Florida opened 3-0 before losses to the Flyers and Red Wings and then fell to the Devils on Thursday, with Evan Rodrigues saying the power play needs to be crisper.
- Captain Aleksander Barkov had ACL and MCL surgery with a projected seven-to-nine month recovery, likely keeping him out for most of the regular season.
- Matthew Tkachuk remains sidelined following offseason lower-body surgery, with GM Bill Zito indicating he is unlikely to return before December.
- Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is set to miss roughly five months after shoulder surgery, exposing depth on a blue line that has been targeted in recent games.
- Paul Maurice said “fear helps” sharpen focus and called the situation a potential “silver lining,” while highlighting veteran leadership, including praise for Brad Marchand.