Brad Marchand faces six-week absence after injury

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is expected to miss six weeks with a lower-body injury. Coach Paul Maurice said on October 9 that he should resume skating in three weeks.

Maurice outlined a recovery schedule after practice that keeps Marchand off the ice for the first three weeks, followed by another three weeks of rehabilitation. A return to skating would therefore be an intermediate step rather than an immediate return to the lineup.

Marchand was hurt in his second appearance of the season during Florida's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. He collided with a goalpost in the second period and needed assistance to leave the ice. NHL.com confirmed the incident and the coach's recovery timetable.

The setback came soon after Marchand returned from offseason surgery. He had initially been expected to miss October, but played against the Anaheim Ducks and scored in Florida's 3-2 defeat before appearing against Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old forward also missed the end of the previous season because of injury. He joined the Panthers in 2025 after spending 16 seasons with the Boston Bruins, where he served as captain.

Marchand won the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and Florida in 2025. The veteran's experience remains part of the Panthers' lineup, although the schedule announced by Maurice puts his return to games later than his return to on-ice training.