FORT LAUDERDALE – The Florida Panthers will be without veteran forward Brad Marchand (lower body) for the next six weeks, head coach Paul Maurice announced on Friday.
Based on his current timeline, Marchand is expected to resume skating in three weeks.
“When they go down and you see that, you’re worried,” Maurice said of Marchand’s injury. “We went through it last year, so that’s the first thing that flashes [through your mind].”
Safe to say that everyone felt the same way.
Giving fans in South Florida quite the scare, Marchand sustained his injury late in the second period of Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.
High-sticked by Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke while driving to the net, Marchand went crashing into the right post in an awkward position and immediately grabbed his left knee.
After being looked at by a trainer on the ice, he was helped to the locker room.
“Took a high hard one and got in a bad position,” Maurice said of how Marchand's injury unfolded. “None of it was his fault.”
With captain Aleksander Barkov expected to miss six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury suffered in the second game of the season, the Panthers can now count on having two massive pieces back in their lineup sometime during the holiday season.
“Glass half full situation,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “Great news for our team.”
In the interim, the Panthers will be counting on other players to step into larger roles.
During this morning’s practice at Baptist Health IcePlex, veteran forward Lars Eller was elevated from his usual spot on the fourth line to center Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart.
Joining the Panthers on a one-year contract this summer, Eller, a Stanley Cup champion with the Washington Capitals in 2018, has 1,188 games of NHL experience under his belt.
In four games so far with Florida, the 37-year-old has dished out three primary assists.
“He’s such an accomplished pro that I think he can play any position and understand the role and what it means,” Maurice said.
After four games on the road, the Panthers, who sit at 2-0-2 in the standings, will celebrate their home opener on Saturday.
Hosting the Minnesota Wild, puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET.
For tickets, click HERE.
