Brad Marchand’s Florida Panthers debut might be approaching. What Paul Maurice said
Brad Marchand’s debut with the Florida Panthers might be on the horizon.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice said the team is “shooting for” the veteran winger to play on Friday when Florida hosts the Utah Hockey Club at Amerant Bank Arena. Puck drop for that game is at 7 p.m.
Maurice said the final determination will come after the team’s practice on Thursday, during which Marchand will be a full participant.
Marchand, who the Panthers acquired from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 1 while playing for the Bruins. He has been on the ice with the Panthers for practices and most morning skates. The Panthers have been cautious with Marchand since he joined the team, opting for a slower approach to getting him acclimated with the team while he rehabbed.
But things have progressed enough to the point where they feel comfortable drawing Marchand into the lineup if he feels ready to go.
“We’re not jamming these guys back on their first available day,” Maurice said. “We’re not bringing them in early. So if he says he’d like a few more days before [playing], we’re good with that. But we need to get him through a few practices to see.”
When Marchand returns, he will slot into the Panthers’ top-six. The most logical spot would be on Florida’s second line with center Sam Bennett and fellow winger Mackie Samoskevich. Marchand and Bennett were linemates with Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The Panthers have been rotating players on the right wing of that line with Matthew Tkachuk sidelined due to an apparent groin injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“With Matthew out of our lineup, it puts a place there for him, for sure,” Maurice said. “And some of it is just comfort. Out of all the players that he has, he’s played a few games with Sam Bennett, so he knows he’s got some conversation there. So that’s the idea of putting him there.”
Marchand, 36, has played his entire 16-season NHL career with the Bruins. In 1,090 games, he has 422 goals and 976 points. He has 21 goals and 47 points through 61 games this season. He won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and is a two-time All-Star.
He’s a valuable veteran presence for this team and has already ingratiated himself well with the team.
“He’s just a guy who brings a relentless work ethic,” said Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues, who has been skating with Marchand during the offseason for about a decade. “Always an upbeat — not goofy, but chirping attitude. He’s always talking. I think that’s a big thing. He’s always keeping that room light. And then on the ice, you’ll see him in drills. He always gives a second effort on pucks, and he loves to battle. When you have someone like that, who every drill is kind of giving it that second effort, it almost makes the whole group want to buy in a little bit more and give that second effort. He just makes everyone around him better, and he’s an extremely welcome and positive addition to our group.”
Added Maurice: “He knows so that you don’t have to wait two weeks for his personality to come up. He’s a gregarious man. He’s very positive. Loves being at the rink, loves being on the ice, and he shows it every time he’s out there. He fits in, so it almost feels like he’s been here forever. His personality probably has a lot to do with that, and then he does some really good things on the ice, and I think when you put a put a player that’s special on the ice, whether it’s his hands or his feet, and the players notice that before anybody else, they can judge that better than anybody. There’s an excitement.”
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