He then added, “I’ve never been so happy to be out for this amount of time.”
Marchand was injured Oct. 6 in a game against the Los Angeles Kings. Going hard to the net, the forward was pulled down by Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. Marchand’s left leg collapsed beneath him, and he crashed into the boards in a heap.
“The injury could have been so much worse,” said the 38-year-old who’s in his 18th NHL season. “I’ve never hurt my knee before; I didn’t know what to think when I went down. I thought it could be a career-ending type of thing, a season-ending thing.”
The Panthers said Oct. 9 that he would miss six weeks. Coach Paul Maurice said last week that Marchand could be back in as few as three weeks.
Now it looks like it will be about a month.
Still, Marchand is relieved he’ll be able to return at all.
“When I found out it would be a couple of months or whatever, I was pretty happy that was the case,” Marchand said. “It has been getting better and stronger every day, we’re working through it.’’
Florida has also been without captain Aleksander Barkov since he sustained a left knee injury of his own against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 1, when his leg crumpled during a board battle.
The two players have been skating on their own along with forward Jonah Gadjovich. Maurice said the next step is to incorporate the two back into the main practice group.
“We are happy with where they are at,” Maurice said last week.
Barkov was said to be out 6-8 weeks with his injury, so a return at the end of November or the start of December appears to be likely.
The Panthers captain, who missed all of last season with a right knee injury sustained in training camp, did not have an update on his potential timeline, but said he was enjoying working so closely with Marchand -- a former rival who played for the Boston Bruins until he was traded to Florida on March 7, 2025.
“Hopefully, soon, both of us will be back,’’ Barkov said Thursday. “It has been great to share the experience with ‘Marchy,’ see what he does, how he gets ready.
“I like getting to know him better. I didn’t think I would ever say that.’’
The Panthers (9-5-2) next play Saturday at the Washington Capitals (12:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MNMT, SN).
