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2h ago

Panthers Place Dmitry Kulikov on IR With Surgery Decision Pending

The retroactive designation makes him ineligible for the next three games, with Oct. 16 his earliest return date.

Jake Sanderson #85 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with Artem Zub #2 during the third period at the Benchmark International Arena on October 9, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
Oct 2, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) controls the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Mitchell Chaffee (41) in the third period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • Kulikov exited Thursday’s win over the Flyers in the second period after a right wrist/arm injury sustained on a check attempt against Bobby Brink.
  • Florida backdated the injured-reserve move to Oct. 9, which automatically rules him out for three games and allows a potential activation on Oct. 16.
  • Coach Paul Maurice said the defenseman may require surgery, with a decision possibly coming as soon as Saturday, according to team beat reporting.
  • Uvis Balinskis is set to take Kulikov’s spot on the left side of the Panthers’ third pairing alongside Jeff Petry.
  • The defending champions are already navigating early-season absences, with Aleksander Barkov (ACL/MCL), Tomas Nosek (knee) and Matthew Tkachuk (adductor) on LTIR, and they retain LTIR space to facilitate a potential recall from AHL Charlotte.