The NHL’s Saturday night schedule produced several significant injury developments, and the NHL injury report suddenly has some notable names on it just days into the regular season.
Aleksander Barkov going on LTIR is the biggest development of late, but injuries to Jake Sanderson, Matt Roy, Rasmus Ristolainen and Marco Kasper also deserve attention.
So, let’s take a closer look at the latest injury updates following Saturday night’s busy slate of NHL action.
Barkov Lands on LTIR
The Florida Panthers received the biggest blow Saturday when captain Aleksander Barkov was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
Barkov sustained a lower-body injury during Florida’s game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, awkwardly going down while battling for the puck along the boards.
The timing of his landing on the NHL injury report is particularly brutal.
Barkov had only just returned after missing the entire 2025-26 season because of a massive injury to the other knee he injured against the Sharks. He was playing in just his second game of the new season when he went down again.
Now, the Florida captain will have to miss at least 10 games and 24 days because of the LTIR designation, although the Panthers are hopeful he can hit the ice again this season.
The Cats are suddenly in trouble as they have lost their top-line center for an indefinite period.
Sanderson Leaves Against Maple Leafs
The Ottawa Senators also had a concerning development in their season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Jake Sanderson left the game and did not return after playing only six shifts. The defenseman had already missed part of training camp and the preseason with an undisclosed injury before returning to practice Friday.
The Sens’ top defenseman was doubtful for Saturday night’s clash in Toronto, but felt good enough to go. In hindsight, he should have just sat out the game.
It’s unclear how long he’ll be on the NHL injury report, though he’s listed day-to-day at this point.
The 24-year-old defenseman recorded 14 goals and 40 assists in 67 games last season and is one of the most important pieces of the Senators’ blue line.
Ottawa ultimately defeated Toronto 3-2, but Sanderson’s loss will remain a question mark hanging over the team.
Roy, Ristolainen and Kasper Land on NHL Injury Report
Three other interesting names hit the NHL injury report on Saturday night.
Matt Roy suffered a lower-body injury during the Washington Capitals’ 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and did not return for the third period. Washington coach Spencer Carbery said Roy would be evaluated once the team returned to Washington. There is no timetable yet.
Roy’s last shift came late in the second period. He had played 15:27 before leaving and is an alternate captain, so this is a meaningful blue-line injury for Washington.
Rasmus Ristolainen left the Philadelphia Flyers‘ 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed injury and will be reevaluated Sunday.
The injury appears to have occurred when he blocked a shot with his left hand in the second period. He briefly returned for the third period, taking only a 37-second shift before leaving for good.
He finished with two blocked shots and a hit in 14:26.
Marco Kasper is dealing with an upper-body injury and will miss the Detroit Red Wings’ game on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. Head coach Todd McLellan said Kasper will be reevaluated in a couple of days.
Interestingly, the injury wasn’t the result of his fight with Sean Durzi during Friday’s 2-0 loss to the NY Rangers. Kasper finished that game, but apparently developed the issue afterward.
The early NHL injury report is already becoming crowded. Unfortunately for the teams and players on the list, uncertainty seems to be the name of the game for now.
NHL Injury Report: Barkov to LTIR, Sanderson Out & Others