Panthers activate Brad Marchand off injured reserve
The Florida Panthers activated forward Brad Marchand off injured reserve on Saturday, according to the NHL Media site.
The Panthers have activated Brad Marchand off IR, according to the NHL Media site
At this point in time, it’s not confirmed whether or not Marchand will be returning to the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, but this movement in the roster is a strong indication that will be the case. The Panthers only had 22 players on their active roster, so no other roster moves needed to be made to accommodate for Marchand’s activation.
Marchand has missed the last seven games with an undisclosed injury, one he appeared to sustain during a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 6th after taking a hit from Bobby McMann. He was originally just considered day-to-day, but the injury persisted and he was placed on the IR on January 17th. The Panthers went 4-3-0 during Marchand’s absence.
The Panthers will be happy to have Marchand back in the lineup when he does return, as he’s been a big reason why the team has stayed afloat amidst all their injuries. He has 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 41 games, his most productive season in four years.
Marchand’s potential return is also great news for the Canadian Olympic team, as he was named to their roster earlier in January and is set to make his Olympic debut in Milan, Italy in February. It will be the seventh time he’s represented Canada in his career, and the third time in a best-on-best tournament, also doing so in 2016 at the World Cup of Hockey and in 2024 at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Panthers currently sit in seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 26-20-3 record, and are five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Florida will look to build off of Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets when they visit the Wild in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.