When former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand went down with an injury on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings in Southern California to close out their season-opening four-game road trip, it didn't look good.
Marchand went down and grabbed his knee behind the Kings' net and needed help off the ice without putting any weight on his leg. He clearly was in pain, and it didn't look good for a player who has dealt with numerous injuries over the last couple of seasons.
However, the results of the injury were not as bad as once feared, and it appears that Marchand and Florida dodged a bullet in terms of a potential long-term injury.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice gives Brad Marchand injury timeline
According to Maurice, Marchand is going to miss at least six weeks, and he could resume skating in three weeks, but the injury doesn't appear to be season-ending for the 38-year-old.
Marchand out 6 weeks, per Maurice.
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) October 9, 2026
He’ll resume skating in 3 weeks.
This season, the Panthers are making their two trips to Boston in and around that time frame. The first time Florida is at TD Garden is on Nov. 8 for a Sunday afternoon game. They will come back on Dec. 15, a Tuesday night, 10 days before Christmas. There is a good chance that he will play in that game.
After being traded from Boston to Florida, he signed a long-term deal shortly after winning the Stanley Cup in 2025 to finish out his career in South Floirda. However, he missed 30 games last season, and the Panthers had to deal with numerous injuries, which hampered them from making the playoffs and attempting to win a third straight Stanley Cup. Instead, this past offseason, the organization went all-in with roster upgrades, and now they are able to withstand some key injuries before they get fully healthy.
Not only did they lose Marchand on the trip, but they also lost Aleksander Barkov, who missed last season with an injury, to another injury against the San Jose Sharks, right before Marchand went down a few nights later. However, adding players like Brady Tkachuk in a trade from the Ottawa Senators over the summer helps give Maurice depth to withstand long-term setbacks in his lineup.
Marchand is guaranteed to miss the first game when Florida comes to Boston next month, but his return will be around the time they make their second trip in December. Regardless of who is in the lineup, both games will be a challenge for a Bruins team looking to compete in a loaded Atlantic Division in 2026-27.
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