Without a doubt, Brad Marchand has been the best player on the Florida Panthers so far in the 2025-26 NHL season. However, when the Cats host the Anaheim Ducks on October 28, the 37-year-old veteran won’t be dressing for the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
Amid an injury-riddled season for the Panthers, Marchand’s absence won’t be related to a physical setback on the beloved veteran in Sunrise. Instead, the former Boston Bruins captain will be inactive during the game against the Ducks as he deals with personal issues.
As head coach Paul Maurice told reporters, Marchand has suffered a loss in his family circle and will be taking some time off the NHL season to be with his beloved ones.
Weathering the storm
While being without Marchand hurts the team, the Panthers have grown accustomed to dealing with longer absences. At the end of the day, Marchand is expected back for Florida’s next game on Nov. 1, when the Cats host the Dallas Stars.
Brad Marchand at Amerant Bank Arena on October 07, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
As the Cats clash with the Ducks, Maurice will rely on the rest of his team to step up. Replacing Marchand means filling in for the Panthers’ current leader in goals, assists, and points. Marchand has been red-hot to start the 2025-26 NHL campaign, proving the theory of relativity when it comes to age.
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New lines, who this?
The Panthers will be looking quite different as the Ducks walk into Amerant Bank Arena. With Marchand (personal), Aleksander Barkov (knee injury), Matthew Tkachuk (groin), Tomas Nosek (knee), and Dmitry Kulikov (upper-body) all sidelined, Florida’s depth is being put to the ultimate test.
“It’s a brand-new team,” Maurice said, via NHL.com. “Significant pieces are out, so you have to find groups that can fit together, the chemistry, then chart a direction with a style of game. There has been a shift [this season]. I think it’s style of game. It’s not the core foundation of what we believe or how we want to play, but we are going to look different.”
Coming into the NHL regular season with severe injuries to star players, Marchand and the Panthers knew they were in for a wild ride. Still, just 10 games into the campaign, Florida has been hit with a surprise. Bad luck never comes alone, and after back-to-back Stanley Cups, perhaps the Cats are watching the tables turn.
