ANAHEIM, Calif. - Brad Marchand, 38, returned to the Florida Panthers lineup Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, weeks ahead of his projected November comeback after August surgery, as the team scrambled to adjust following Sasha Barkov’s suspected left knee injury.
Marchand’s early return forced a significant reshuffling of the Panthers’ top lines, according to Florida Hockey Now. Coach Paul Maurice is sliding Sam Reinhart to center on the first line to fill Barkov’s spot, with Marchand taking Reinhart’s position on the right side alongside Brady Tkachuk on the left.
“It should be a great boost with Barkov being out of the lineup,” Maurice said Sunday afternoon at Honda Center. “He just brings so much energy … this guy is a really effective player. And he’s a creative player. He’s hard to game, and he creates from the chaos that he causes. … We’re so pleased to have him back.”
Reinhart’s move to center is one Maurice had been considering for some time. The Panthers had initially tried Lars Eller at Barkov’s spot on Saturday, moving him up from the fourth line, before settling on the Reinhart solution. Reinhart previously played center with the Buffalo Sabres, including the second half of the 2021-22 season before being traded to Florida.
“There was an idea last year if we could ever get Sam Reinhart into the middle of the ice,” Maurice said. “We keep, in some ways, our center depth in term of veteran IQ. … It was in the back of our mind that if a center went down, Reinhart could be it. He came into the league as a centerman and was drafted very high. He might be our best option when we have the pieces.”
Defenseman Gus Forsling, who missed Thursday’s game in San Jose after taking warmups, was listed as a gametime decision for Sunday’s contest. Florida leads the all-time regular season series against Anaheim 23-17-2, with three ties. The Ducks won the teams’ last meeting 2-0. The Panthers’ next road stop is Tuesday at the Los Angeles Kings at 10 p.m. on ESPN, with Anaheim’s return visit to Florida scheduled for Feb. 20.