Brad Marchand's season may be shortened

The veteran winger has been bothered by a lower body issue all season

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Brad Marchand was never supposed to carry such a burden this season.

Acquired last season from Boston, where he was beloved, Marchand went from Panthers' public enemy #1 to Dairy Queen darling, bringing his passion, personality and still-elite play to the Stanley Cup run. Then he surprised many by signing a six-year contract that takes him to age 43.

His minutes were supposed to be monitored during regular seasons, as the Panthers relied on younger stars, so he would be fresh for playoff pushes. But that hasn't worked out this injury. Injuries to Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones not only torched the Panthers' postseason chances, but also made Marchand do more than expected.

Now his season may be over.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice announced that Marchand would miss Tuesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings -- as the Panthers return home from a disappointing road trip -- and that a visit to a specialist about his lower body injury will determine the team's actions from there.

Don't be surprised if this is it for Marchand's season. He has 27 goals and 27 assists, and is second on the team in goals and points. But that production doesn't matter as much now, with the Panthers all but out of playoff contention, as does his regaining of full health for next season. Marchand has gutted it out, but he's been in pain for much of the season, and that apparently played into his limited role for Team Canada in the Olympics after Marchand had been so excited to be part of that team.

Jun 22, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UNITED STATES; Florida Panthers center Brad Marchand (63) celebrates during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If Marchand sits, he won't be the only one. The Panthers haven't ruled out Barkov's return yet, but it's hard to see the point, unless it's simply for him to gain confidence in his surgically-repaired knee prior to the summer. General manager Bill Zito said Jones would play again at some point, but the same applies to him.

Marchand will be missed, of course. He's been professional during a challenging season, and he's still had some spectacular goals. Ideally, he gets refreshed and can slot into a reduced role on a more stable Panthers roster next season. No team has been more ravaged by injury.

“There were times where he didn’t play, but kind of maintained it and came back in," Maurice told reporters Monday. "It just got to a point on this road trip where it was not recovering and continuing to get worse."