NHL News: Brad Marchand receives troubling news on key teammate amid rough patch for Panthers

Despite Brad Marchand making his best efforts to keep the team afloat, the Florida Panthers can’t buy a break in the NHL. With injuries piling up on all fronts, the organization has confirmed that another key player will be out of the lineup as the injury bug continues to tear through the locker room.

When it rains, it pours. Yet for the Cats, it’s raining dogs and dogs in Sunrise. Marchand and the Panthers struggle to string together consecutive victories, which only affects the team’s morale. However, it’s virtually impossible to be consistent in the NHL when the lineup looks different night in and night out.

With injuries all across the room, the reigning back-to-back Stanley Cup champions feel like their hands are tied behind their backs. Players are going down like flies, and Marchand is being directly affected as he will be without linemate Eetu Luostarinen.

As announced by Panthers’ beat reporter Jameson Olive, Luostarinen is out for the Panthers and considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury sustained during the latest matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Marchand welcomes new teammate to his line

Times have changed for the Panthers. What was once considered Florida’s third line—and the best third line across the NHL—has now taken over as the top unit on the Cats’ attack. Brad Marchand, Eetu Luostarinen, and Anton Lundell simply clicked right away. From the first moment the 37-year-old veteran arrived in South Florida, the three have built some second-to-none chemistry, and they haven’t been split up since.

However, with Luostarinen expected to miss some time, changes must be made. All signs point to Mackie Samoskevich sliding onto the first line, replacing one half of the electric Finnish duo on Marchand’s unit.

Entering the NHL season with high expectations, Samoskevich will look to feed off Marchand’s energy and hot form. The veteran leads the team in scoring with 12 goals, 9 points, and 21 points, all while boasting a ten-game point streak. By joining forces with one of the best players across the league, ‘Samo’ could pick up the pace in his own production and, more importantly, help Florida find its footing in what has been a truly testing campaign.