Florida Panthers defenceman Dmitry Kulikov will miss five months after having wrist surgery, head coach Paul Maurice told reporters Wednesday.
This would sideline him until roughly mid-March.
The 34-year-old was placed on the injured reserve list last Friday after being a injured a day earlier against the Philadelphia Flyers, appearing to suffer the injury after a collision with Flyers forward Bobby Brink in the second period.
He had zero points in two games this season prior to going down.
He posted four goals and 13 points in 70 games during the regular season in 2024-25, and added five points in 23 Stanley Cup Playoff games as the Panthers repeated as Cup champions.
In his second stint with the Panthers, Kulikov is in the second year of a four-year, $4.6 million deal that pays him $1.15 million annually. He’s also spent time with the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his 17-year NHL career.
Injuries piling up for Panthers
The injury is one of many the Panthers are dealing with this season as they aim to three-peat as champions. Kulikov joins captain Aleksander Barkov (knee), winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) and winger Tomas Nosek (knee) on the injured reserve list.
Barkov could miss the entire season as he recovers from ACL and MCL surgery, while the Panthers hope to get Tkachuk and Nosek back at some point in December.
Florida enters play Wednesday atop the Atlantic Division at 3-1.
