Panthers get good news on Marchand injury days after getting good news on Barkov

Florida Panthers admin October 9, 2026 0 Comments

Panthers get good news on Marchand injury days after getting good news on Barkov

The Florida Panthers once again found themselves hoping for good news on an injury to a key player.

And for the second time in a week, the Panthers found themselves on the right side of the medical update.

Just days after finding out captain Aleksander Barkov’s left knee injury is only expected to keep him out between six and eight weeks, the Panthers received a similarly positive update on Brad Marchand.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice said the veteran forward is only expected to be out about six weeks with a left leg injury sustained in the second period of Florida’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday to cap a 2-0-2 road trip to open the 2026-27 season. Marchand is expected to be skating after three weeks and then need another three for conditioning.

Marchand, playing in just his second game since mid-March after dealing with an assortment of lower-body injuries last season and undergoing surgery in August, sustained the injury when he drove the net and got caught by Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke’s stick. He was treated on the ice by the team’s medical staff before being helped off the ice by teammates Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola. He did not put any weight on his left leg.

All in all, another collective sigh of relief.

“Nobody said months yet,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said, “so we’re taking weeks.”

The news comes three days after Maurice said Barkov would be out between six and eight weeks with a left knee injury he sustained on Oct. 1 against the San Jose Sharks.

Barkov, speaking Thursday in Boca Raton, said he was meeting with the team’s physical trainers on Friday to map out his rehab schedule and planned to be back “as soon as possible.”

“Obviously, it’s not the thing you want to have, especially after what I went through last year,” Barkov said at an event in which he received a key to the city of Boca Raton. “But it is what it is. Trying to stay positive, and the team is doing really well. It was a good road trip, so I’m really, really happy.”

In the meantime, the Panthers’ forward depth is already being tested as a result. Lars Eller on Friday worked as the center on a line with Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart — the line Barkov centered to start the season and the line that Marchand joined after Barkov got hurt. Eller, who was centering Florida’s fourth line, is tied for the team lead with three points (all assists) through four games.

The Panthers (2-0-2) play their home opener against the Minnesota Wild (2-1-1) on Saturday (6 p.m., Scripps Sports).