Marchand's Return Pushed to Next Month as Panthers Star Nears Full Strength

Brad Marchand will have to wait a little longer for his return to the Florida Panthers. The 38-year-old forward will not be back until next month, the club confirmed on Thursday, with his recovery from a knee injury now expected to take about a month in total. Marchand was hurt on October 6 against the Los Angeles Kings, when he was pulled down by defenceman Brandt Clarke while driving to the net and his left leg collapsed beneath him as he crashed into the boards. The Panthers initially said on October 9 that he would miss six weeks, and coach Paul Maurice suggested last week that a return in as few as three weeks was possible. The latest update pushes that timeline back slightly. Still, Marchand is simply relieved he will be able to play again at all. The veteran, in his 18th NHL season, admitted he feared the worst when he went down. "I've never hurt my knee before; I didn't know what to think," he said. "I thought it could be a career-ending type of thing, a season-ending thing." Marchand and captain Aleksander Barkov, out since October 1 with his own knee injury, have been skating on their own, with Barkov's return expected around the end of November or the start of December. For now, the Panthers — 9-5-2 and riding a strong start — will keep waiting on their two stars.