Panthers forward Brad Marchand out six weeks with left leg injury
In short
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand will be out of game action for six weeks with a left leg injury, coach Paul Maurice said. Marchand is expected to start skating again in three weeks, and the Associated Press reported he should be able to resume play sometime in November. Forward Aleksander Barkov is expected to need a similar timetable, also because of a left leg injury, the AP reported.
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Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand will need six weeks to recover from a left leg injury, coach Paul Maurice confirmed on Friday, according to the Associated Press. Maurice told team reporter Jameson Olive that Marchand will be out of game action for six weeks and will start skating again in three weeks, Newsweek reported. The AP said Marchand is expected to need three more weeks to rehab and condition after returning to the ice, and should be able to resume play sometime in November. Newsweek said he should return to the lineup in late November if his recovery goes well. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Marchand left the Panthers' Oct. 6 game against the Los Angeles Kings early with a lower-body injury, Newsweek reported. While driving to the net, he fell awkwardly into the side of the net and was helped off the ice by teammates Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola, unable to put weight on his left leg. Newsweek said many had feared the injury could end his season. Marchand posted 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games for Florida last season, according to Newsweek. [ 1 ]
The AP reported that forward Aleksander Barkov is expected to need a similar timetable before he can play again, also because of a left leg injury, and could be back by the end of November. "Nobody said 'months' yet," Maurice said. The AP reported that Florida was short-handed in all four games of its season-opening road trip, with Marchand missing the first two, Barkov the next two, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad also missing two. [ 3 ]
Last season, Barkov was expected at this point to be sidelined at least seven months with torn ligaments in his right knee and missed the entire season, while Matthew Tkachuk did not start his season until mid-January after surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor, the AP reported. Panthers players missed a combined 544 games with injuries, and the team missed the playoffs after back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. "We're no stranger to guys going down the last few years and guys have done a great job of stepping up," Tkachuk said. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The Panthers are already dealing with several injuries early in the season, the Associated Press reported, after players missed a combined 544 games with injuries last season and the team missed the playoffs. Maurice noted that, unlike last season, no one has spoken of absences lasting months.
Key facts
- Brad Marchand will be out of game action for six weeks, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Marchand left the Panthers' Oct. 6 game against the Los Angeles Kings early with a lower-body injury after falling awkwardly into the side of the net. [ 1 ]
- Marchand is expected to be back on the ice in three weeks, then need three more weeks to rehab and condition. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Forward Aleksander Barkov is expected to need a similar timetable because of a left leg injury and could be back by the end of November, the AP reported. [ 3 ]
- Marchand posted 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games for Florida last season. [ 1 ]
- Panthers players missed a combined 544 games with injuries last season, and the team missed the playoffs. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact date of Marchand's return. Newsweek said he should return in late November assuming his recovery goes well, while the AP said sometime in November.
- Barkov's timetable for returning. Only the AP reported on Barkov's injury and expected return.