Brad Marchand Nears Florida Panthers Return After August Surgery

Paul Maurice says the veteran forward is close to rejoining the lineup, with doctors, trainers and Marchand himself nearing sign-off.

Brad Marchand's recovery is moving faster than the Florida Panthers anticipated. The veteran forward practiced with the team again on Saturday, and head coach Paul Maurice said a return to the lineup is close. The update came ahead of Sunday's road game against the Anaheim Ducks.

A few hurdles remain before he can suit up. Maurice said the doctors must clear Marchand, the trainers must approve, and the player himself must then agree, adding that all three are close to doing so. Because Florida never placed Marchand on long-term injured reserve, he can go straight into the lineup once those approvals arrive, with no waiting period involved.

From there, Maurice's only task is fitting the winger back into the lineup, and he does not expect that to be difficult. Rookie Sandis Vilmanis has been occupying Marchand's place on the third line alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, which would let Marchand resume that assignment and Vilmanis drop to the fourth line.

The timeline has turned out better than the club first framed it. Maurice said on the opening day of training camp that Marchand would miss all of October, while allowing that the forward might be ready before the month ended. That possibility now appears to be the reality.

Marchand underwent surgery in August to correct a recurring injury that has bothered him for the past few years. The problem has a history: while with the Boston Bruins, Marchand had hip surgery and an operation for a sports hernia.

Marchand said he aggravated the injury in December, and the Panthers tried to manage it from January onward before his season was closed at the NHL trade deadline. He had hoped to play through it without another operation but decided to have the procedure before the season began. He was skating with the team during informal sessions soon after the surgery and has spent camp working out on his own and alongside Jonah Gadjovich.

His comeback would be a lift for a team sorting through other health matters. Sasha Barkov was placed on long-term injured reserve, with doctors in Florida still to determine how severe his injury is. Defenseman Radko Gudas also returns to face the Ducks as a member of the Panthers.

Sunday's game is Florida's third of the season and opens a stretch that continues Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. It is also the first of two meetings with the Ducks, who visit Florida on Feb. 20. Anaheim won last season's matchup 2-0, though the Panthers lead the all-time regular-season series 23-17-2 with three ties.

The Florida Panthers face the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, October 4, at 8:00 PM EDT at Honda Center. The game airs on Scripps Sports, KCOP and Prime Video (Local).