Panthers’ Brad Marchand out day-to-day with undisclosed injury
The Florida Panthers will be shorthanded for the final stretch before the Olympic break, as forward Brad Marchand is out on a day-to-day basis with an undisclosed injury.
Bobrovsky in net, per Maurice. Lundell and Marchand remain out.
Marchand sustained the injury during Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The cause of Marchand’s injury is not known, but he skated for 11:19 in the game before exiting late in the second period, with the team confirming his absence for the third.
For the time being, Marchand is considered day-to-day with his injury. The Panthers have three more games beyond Saturday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, so it’s unclear if the plan is for him to return at some point during that stretch or if he’s going to sit out until the break.
It won’t be much of a break for Marchand either, as he’s set to wear the red-and-white maple leaf at the Olympics for the first time in his career. His status for the tournament is not confirmed at this point in time, but considering the day-to-day nature of his injury, he’ll likely be good to go.
Marchand has been an important part of this Panthers’ lineup amidst all of their injuries, as he has 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points in 45 games. It’s the first time since his 2021-22 season that he’s averaged above a point-per-game in scoring.
With Marchand out of the lineup, Luke Kunin is set to take the Halifax, Nova Scotia product’s place on the third line alongside Cole Schwindt and Eetu Luostarinen. Jesper Boqvist will draw into the lineup as a result of Marchand’s injury as well.
Forward Anton Lundell will also remain out of the lineup on Saturday. He missed Thursday’s loss with an upper-body injury and is also day-to-day, which like Marchand, could mean he’s resting before suiting up for Finland at the Olympics. Lundell has 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 52 games this season.