Brad Marchand to make Panthers debut Friday against Utah

All eyes are on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers as prized trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand is set to make his debut with the squad Friday versus the Utah Hockey Club, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice confirmed per team reporter Jameson Olive.

Added from the Boston Bruins ahead of the March 7 trade deadline in exchange for a conditional second-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft, Marchand has yet to appear in a game with his new club due to an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since early March.

Marchand’s last appearance came March 1 with the Bruins versus the Pittsburgh Penguins in which he was forced to exit early into the first period and did not return after suffering the upper-body ailment. On the season, Marchand has seen 61 contests in which he has collected 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points coupled with 62 penalty minutes and a minus-eight rating.

Originally chosen by Boston in the third round of the 2006 NHL Draft, Marchand saw 1,090 career contests with the Bruins in which he amassed 422 goals and 554 assists for 976 points to rank fifth-highest in franchise scoring. A five-time 30-plus goal scorer, Marchand’s most productive campaign came in 2018-19 when he finished with 100 points counting 36 goals and 64 assists through 79 games.

Marchand has also seen no shortage of success in the postseason where through 157 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs he has tallied 56 goals and 82 assists for 138 points, underscored by a Stanley Cup win with the Bruins in 2011 where through 25 outings he notched 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points en route to the championship.

On the season, the Panthers sit 43-25-3 and one point back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for top spot in the Atlantic Division.