Florida Panthers Injury Updates
Injuries have significantly impacted the Florida Panthers’ pursuit of a third consecutive Stanley Cup. However, assuming there are no further setbacks, they could return a trio of players shortly after the Olympic break.
In an update from the team, the Panthers could return Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov, and Jonah Gadjovich in their road trip at the beginning of March. That would indicate that each player should only miss a game or two before being activated from the long-term injured reserve.
Head coach Paul Maurice provided a quote explaining the situation, saying, “They’ll go probably non-contact this week and then maybe get released for contact in and around the Toronto game (at home on Feb. 26), which would keep them out of those games. But if they can get through the week, then somewhere on the road trip there will be a chance they’ll come back. I just don’t know the answer to a lot of them. They’ve been off for an awfully long time. We do need to get them into to a certain level of confidence before [they return].”
None of the three would provide Florida with a game-changing addition by any stretch, though a return of all three would drastically improve the team’s depth. Absent netminders, the Panthers have used 28 different players this season and have eight players currently dealing with some injury or another.
Nosek has missed the most time. After suffering a significant knee injury during offseason training that required surgery, Nosek has remained sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season up to this point. His first season with the Panthers came last season, scoring one goal and nine points in 59 games, averaging 9:49 of ice time.
Meanwhile, Kulikov has also been out for much of the 2025-26 campaign. Suffering a torn labrum in early October, the 35-year-old has been limited to two games this season. Throughout his last two years in Florida, he’s credited with five goals and 33 points in 146 games with 259 hits.
Like Kulikov, Gadjovich has also been out of the lineup since October. Also undergoing surgery, Gadjovich has only appeared in 10 games this year. As the Panthers continue their push toward the postseason, returning several of their injured players and adding a piece or two at the deadline should help in that endeavor.
Atlantic Notes: Tuch, Kulikov, Nosek, Zacha
While Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen called extending pending UFA winger Alex Tuch a top priority after being named to the position, it doesn’t appear progress is being made on that front. In a recent appearance on DFO Live (video link), The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported that while the sides remain communicative, they aren’t getting any closer to getting a deal in place. The 29-year-old is in the middle of another strong season, as he has posted 22 goals and 26 assists in 56 games so far. At this point, it’s likely that he’ll more than double his current $4.75MM AAV based on comparable wingers to sign extensions in recent months. But even if Kekalainen isn’t willing to pay that price tag just yet, it’s unlikely that he’d turn around and move Tuch before the March 6th trade deadline with Buffalo in the playoff picture as they look to reach the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Panthers welcomed a pair of veterans back to practice today. Team reporter Jameson Olive noted (Twitter links) that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and center Tomas Nosek both took part in today’s skate in non-contact jerseys. Kulikov suffered an upper-body injury in the second game of the season and has been out since then. The initial recovery period was expected to be between five and six months so Kulikov may be a little while yet before returning. As for Nosek, he has yet to play this season due to a knee injury. Both players are currently on LTIR and would give the Panthers some depth upgrades for the stretch run once they’re able to return.
- Bruins center Pavel Zacha took part in practice today in a regular (contact) jersey, relays Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been working his way back from a concussion and was initially expected to be able to play for the Czechs at the Olympics. Instead, recovery has been slower than expected, causing him to withdraw, and he was in a non-contact sweater as practices resumed this week but this is a step in the right direction. Zacha had 11 points last month before being injured and sits fourth in Boston scoring with 37 points in 54 games this season.
Panthers’ Tomas Nosek Undergoes Knee Surgery
Panthers center Tomas Nosek will miss the first several months of the season with a knee injury sustained during offseason training, general manager Bill Zito told reporters Wednesday, including George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.
Florida has likely been sitting on this information for a while. It offers additional context for their recent spree of depth forward signings and PTO agreements. In the last month, the Cats have added Luke Kunin on a league-minimum deal and brought in Noah Gregor and Tyler Motte on tryout pacts.
Nosek, 33, was widely projected to start the year as the Panthers’ fourth-line center. That was essentially the only role he played last season when healthy, oftentimes slotting in between fellow returnees Jonah Gadjovich and A.J. Greer. Injuries have become a commonality for the serviceable Czech pivot in the last few years. He spent the first month of last season on the injured list with an upper-body issue, and he also missed over half of the 2023-24 campaign with the Devils due to multiple ailments, including a knee injury.
The 6’3″ center is on the precipice of 500 career regular-season games and is entering his 11th NHL season and his second with the Panthers. He’s signed back-to-back league minimum contracts with the Cats, a decision that earned him his first Stanley Cup win last year after reaching the Final with the Golden Knights in their inaugural season. Nosek should also be remembered as the scorer of the first home goal in Vegas’ franchise history.
While a stable presence, Nosek’s offensive presence has deteriorated significantly in the last few years. He managed just 47 shots on goal in 59 appearances last year and only converted on one of them. He also averaged under 10 minutes per game for the first time. He’s still an effective checking presence, though, and has managed to keep his career-long streak of a 50% win rate or better on faceoffs alive.
In terms of his direct replacement to start the year, Jesper Boqvist might be the frontrunner. He was used as an extra forward in last year’s postseason and mainly slotted in on the wing when he was in the lineup, but he has more recent experience down the middle than any of Gregor, Kunin, or Motte. All of them can play center in a pinch, though, so Nosek’s absence likely won’t result in much of an on-ice hiccup for the Cats.
His newfound eligibility for long-term injured reserve also doesn’t change much for the Panthers, who still need to shed salary to be compliant for opening night. Since neither Nosek nor Matthew Tkachuk, who will also be on LTIR to begin the year after a recent adductor surgery, will miss the entire season, Florida is only eligible for $3.82MM in LTIR relief under the new rules taking effect this year. They currently have a projected exceedance of $4.5MM, per PuckPedia, so they’ll need to subtract a league-minimum salary to get under the ceiling to begin the year.
Panthers Sign Tomas Nosek To One-Year Extension
The Panthers have reached a one-year extension with center Tomas Nosek to keep him from unrestricted free agency today, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. He’ll earn the league minimum $775,000 salary on a one-way deal.
The cap-strapped Cats will likely sign a few similar deals today as they aim to assemble as complete a roster as possible. Retaining Nosek is a fine first step, bringing them to 18 players on their projected active roster, although the next deal they sign will put them over the cap for now. They have just $500,000 in space following his signing, per PuckPedia, but teams can exceed the cap by up to 10% during the offseason.
Nosek, 32, returns for his second season in Florida after inking a one-year, league-minimum pact in free agency last summer. Calling him a regular may be a stretch – he was often in the lineup for long stretches before sitting for weeks at a time. He appeared in 59 regular-season games, contributing a goal and nine points while averaging 9:49 per game. He was valuable in the faceoff dot (51.8%) and had a plus-four rating, so his non-offensive impacts were strong, but that was his worst production on a per-game basis since emerging as a full-time NHLer with the Golden Knights in 2017-18.
In the playoffs, Nosek was a healthy scratch for their first-round series against the Lightning but played for the remainder of the postseason after making his debut in Game 3 of the second round against the Maple Leafs. He contributed three assists and a plus-four rating in 16 games, seeing more deployment (11:10 per game) than he did in the regular season.
The Panthers have their top nine forward group filled out – even if they trade a forward to clear cap room, their role will likely be replaced by unsigned RFA Mackie Samoskevich. Nosek will be tasked with playing a more consistent role in the lineup next season, but shouldn’t see much increased responsibility when dressed as their fourth-line center.
Atlantic Notes: Nosek, Maple Leafs, Gaudette, Spence
After re-signing Aaron Ekblad earlier today and agreeing to terms on a new contract for Brad Marchand, the Panthers might not be done just yet. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (video link) that Florida is also working on a new contract for pending unrestricted free agent center Tomas Nosek. The 32-year-old inked a one-year deal worth the league minimum of $775K on the opening day of free agency last summer and, when healthy, was largely a regular on their fourth line. Nosek picked up a goal and eight assists in 59 games this past season while winning more than half his faceoffs for the eighth straight season. Speculatively, should a new deal be reached, it should check in at or near the minimum salary once again.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Even after adding Matias Maccelli earlier today, the Maple Leafs will likely want to make an addition on the wing. To that end, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic noted in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link) that winger Nikolaj Ehlers “holds some appeal” for Toronto. The 29-year-old is the number two player on our Top 50 UFA list and the top available with Mitch Marner on his way to Vegas in a move that’s expected to be made official soon. Ehlers has scored at least 20 goals in eight of the last nine seasons and had 63 points in 69 games in 2024-25.
- The Senators haven’t given up on trying to re-sign winger Adam Gaudette, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 29-year-old wound up scoring a career-best 19 goals this past season after being an AHL regular the previous two seasons. That has Gaudette in a position for a raise and a one-way deal; he checked in 43rd on our Top 50 UFA list.
- At the draft, Los Angeles moved defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa but the Senators weren’t the only Atlantic team interested in his services. Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek reports that the Bruins were also in on the 24-year-old. Spence had 28 points in 79 games this past season but had requested a trade in the hopes of finding a bigger role elsewhere. Speculatively, had Boston landed Spence, they may not have turned around and re-signed Henri Jokiharju, who inked a three-year deal earlier today.
Finals Notes: Hyman, Gadjovich, Nosek
Veteran winger Zach Hyman isn’t available for the Oilers for the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to make an impact on the team. According to NHL.com reporter Jamie Umbach, Hyman continues to make a positive impact through his leadership, despite undergoing surgery to repair the wrist he dislocated in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. Hyman said he’s staying around the team just as much as he would if he were playing.
“Life has a funny way of working. I truly felt that as a group, having gone through what we went through last year in that moment, that I knew most of our guys were coming back and that we had a hunger and a fire to get back to this point. I’m just looking forward to cheering the guys on, and I think we’re ready,” he said.
Hyman said he knew right away the wrist injury was serious after taking the hit, but he didn’t expect it to end his season. Initially, he believed he could play through the pain before team doctors ultimately shut him down.
“I think I was still a little delusional that I could play through it until after the surgery, obviously, and I was emotional in the moment. I don’t think you fully grasp it until a little bit later, and then you can get your head around it. Some things in life you can’t control, and this is one of them,” he said.
In other notes from the Stanley Cup Final:
- Panthers forward Jonah Gadjovich briefly exited Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers but later returned to the ice. Head coach Paul Maurice confirmed today that Gadjovich will be available moving forward, per Jameson Olive of NHL.com. The bottom-six forward skated just 6:02 of ice time in Game 1, but that’s not far off from his average during the playoffs of 7:40. Through 11 playoff games, he has recorded two goals and three points.
- Maurice also expressed support of forward Tomas Nosek following his overtime delay-of-game penalty in Game 1, which led to the Oilers’ game-winning goal, per Tim Capurso of Sports Illustrated. “We’re not here without Tomas Nosek. It’s a tough break. We make sure he doesn’t eat alone tonight, he has lots of people sitting at his table reminding him of how good he has been for us. It’s going to be tough. He’s going to eat that one for a day,” Maurice said.
Panthers Reassign Patrick Giles
The Panthers announced that they’ve loaned center Patrick Giles to AHL Charlotte. As expected, this opens the cap space necessary to activate Tomáš Nosek from long-term injured reserve before this afternoon’s Global Series game against the Stars.
Giles, 24, is waiver-exempt and never stood much chance of sticking around on the NHL roster after Nosek was ready to return. The undrafted free agent signing out of Boston College has played nine games since being called up in the first few days of the season, but the numbers show he’s not ready for a full-time job. The 6’4″, 205-lb forward went 14 for 47 on draws (29.8 FOW%), posted a -1 rating, and managed only four shots on goal while failing to record a point. He averaged 7:23 per game, and the Panthers were caved in for those limited minutes he was on the ice, controlling only 37.6% of shot attempts at even strength. That’s despite Giles receiving 63.3% of his zone starts in the offensive end.
This is Giles’ first season signed to an NHL contract. He’d spent the last two on AHL deals with Charlotte, with 37 points (16 G, 21 A) in 148 games with a +2 rating. In June, he inked a two-year entry-level contract with Florida, making him a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2026.
Nosek coming off LTIR means he’ll be making his Panthers debut in a mid-season neutral site game in Finland, which is certainly unusual. The 32-year-old bottom-six fixture inked a one-year, one-way league minimum pact with the Cats over the summer. He’ll center Florida’s fourth line between A.J. Greer and Mackie Samoskevich, adding 434 games of NHL experience to the unit. He’ll be a significant upgrade over Giles in the role without considering point totals, boasting a career 54.4 FOW% and an impressive 51.4 xGF% at even strength, considering his usual defensive deployment. Nosek is coming off a tough year with the Devils, though, limited by injuries to six points and a -11 rating in 36 games.
Atlantic Notes: Nosek, Gaudette, Ostapchuk, Harvey-Pinard
All signs point to Panthers center Tomáš Nosek coming off long-term injured reserve tomorrow. The team will activate him prior to their Global Series matchup against the Stars in Finland “assuming he gets through the morning skate and feels good,” head coach Paul Maurice told reporters, including the team’s Jameson Olive.
It’s the expected outcome for Nosek. Maurice said earlier this month that the team had circled the overseas contests as his likely return date. The 32-year-old has not yet played in the regular season after sustaining an upper-body injury at the beginning of training camp. He was ruled week-to-week at the beginning of the season, an inauspicious start for a player who managed only 36 appearances last season due to injuries.
The Panthers must open up a roster spot to take Nosek off LTIR. That will likely mean assigning one of their waiver-exempt forwards, Patrick Giles or Mackie Samoskevich, to AHL Charlotte. It will likely be the former, who’s been serving as Florida’s fourth-line center in the early going but has yet to record a point and has gotten caved in at even strength. Tomorrow will mark the Czechia native’s Panthers debut after signing a one-year, league-minimum contract with the club this offseason.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Another day, another paper transaction for the Senators. Forwards Adam Gaudette and Zack Ostapchuk are back up with the team today after being sent down to bank cap space yesterday, the team announced. They’ll both be in the lineup tomorrow against the Rangers, with David Perron and Shane Pinto still unavailable.
- Canadiens winger Rafaël Harvey-Pinard continues to inch closer to a return after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a broken leg. He’s practicing again today in a non-contact jersey and has traveled with the team on their two-game road swing, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. He’s eligible to come off long-term injured reserve at any time. If he does so in the next few days, it’ll be weeks ahead of schedule. He was given a four-month recovery timeline for his late July surgery, which would have put his estimated return around U.S. Thanksgiving. The Habs have an open roster spot and would not need to make a corresponding transaction to activate him.
Snapshots: Panthers, Joshua, Honzek, Harkins
Already missing three forwards due to illness or injuries, the Panthers won’t have forward Jonah Gadjovich available to them tonight against Vegas due to an undisclosed injury, relays team reporter Jameson Olive. The 26-year-old has taken a regular turn on the fourth line so far this season, picking up a goal in Florida’s first six games. As Florida doesn’t have enough cap space to afford a recall from the minors, they will dress just 17 skaters for this one, ten forwards and seven blueliners.
It’s not all bad news on that front, however. Head coach Paul Maurice indicated that winger Matthew Tkachuk is expected to return from his illness on Tuesday while captain Aleksander Barkov should be back not long after that. Meanwhile, Tomas Nosek is due to return early next month for their Global Series games. With that in mind, while the Panthers will be eligible for a cap-exempt recall after tonight’s contest, they’re unlikely to actually need to use it.
More from around the NHL:
- Canucks forward Dakota Joshua skated today for the first time as he continues to recover from surgery to address a cancerous lump from earlier this summer, mentions NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had a breakout effort last season, notching career-highs in goals (18), assists (14), points (32), and hits (245) across 63 regular season contests, earning him a four-year, $13MM extension in late June. There remains no timetable for Joshua’s return but the fact he has returned to the ice is certainly a good sign.
- The Flames have placed forward Samuel Honzek on injured reserve, relays Tim Hiebert of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 19-year-old is in his first professional season and played in four games before sustaining an upper-body injury that will keep him out on a week-to-week basis. Calgary now has an open slot on their active roster and it stands to reason that it won’t take too long for it to be filled, likely with the expected pending return of Kevin Rooney who was a full participant in practice on Friday.
- The Ducks have re-assigned forward Jansen Harkins to AHL San Diego, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 27-year-old is in his first season with Anaheim after signing with them in free agency but cleared waivers at the end of training camp. Harkins was brought up yesterday following the injury to Isac Lundestrom and Frank Vatrano’s absence from the team for paternity leave and he suited up in their loss to Colorado, recording one shot on goal in 10:11 of ice time. In a corresponding move, Vatrano is now back on the active roster.
Panthers Recall Patrick Giles
With the Panthers needing some extra depth up front in the wake of the Aleksander Barkov injury that will keep him out for a few weeks at least, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Patrick Giles from AHL Charlotte.
The 24-year-old signed with Florida as an undrafted free agent back in 2022 following a four-year run at Boston College. He has yet to play at the NHL level but took a step forward offensively last season, notching 13 goals and 10 assists in 66 games with the Checkers.
Giles was one of the final cuts at training camp for the Panthers after they gave him a long look in the preseason. He led the team in scoring with two goals and four assists while suiting up in seven of eight games as they gave him a chance to earn a spot on the fourth line. He didn’t get it then but he should get that opportunity now.
While Florida had two open roster spots and thus technically didn’t need a corresponding move to open one up, there still needed to be a corresponding transaction for cap reasons. Prior to the recall, the team only had $556K in cap space, not enough to afford Giles at his $775K price tag. With that in mind, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that center Tomas Nosek has been transferred to LTIR, meaning he’ll be out for at least the first 10 games and 24 days of the season (the placement can be retroactive to the start of the year) while freeing up enough space to add Giles to the roster.