The Florida Panthers have lost another key forward.
Brad Marchand will be out six weeks after a scary-looking crash into the post, coach Paul Maurice said on Friday, Oct. 9. After getting get tangled with Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke on Tuesday, Marchand immediately grabbed his knee and couldn't put weight on his leg while being helped off the ice.
Marchand was playing his second game of the season, coming back early after he initially was supposed to spend all of October rehabbing from offseason surgery.
Though the diagnosis is less than it initially looked, it's the second injury to their forward group.
Brad Marchand has left the game with a leg injury after falling awkwardly into the post 🤕 This was just Marchand's 2nd game back
from off-season surgery. pic.twitter.com/UdmYNSIhgR
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 7, 2026
Captain Aleksander Barkov is out for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury after he fell awkwardly on his left leg. He had missed the entire 2025-26 season after needing surgery for an ACL injury he suffered in his right knee during the 2025 training camp.
When Barkov went on long-term injured reserve, the Panthers inserted Marchand into the lineup. Now, they'll be without both players for the moment.
Brad Marchand injury update
Marchand is expected to be out for six weeks and is expected to start skating in three weeks.
Marchand also missed time with injury last season as the Panthers missed the playoffs after three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brad Marchand injury update as Panthers forward will miss six weeks
