SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers closed out a four-game road trip with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday night, but the victory was immediately overshadowed when Brad Marchand had to be helped off the ice with an apparent left knee injury late in the second period - the second key player the defending Stanley Cup champions have lost in the first four games of the season.
Marchand, playing in only his second game since returning from core surgery he underwent in August after being shut down March 6, drove the net and was caught by the stick of Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. His left leg buckled beneath him as he crashed into the cage. After being treated by the team’s medical staff on the ice, Marchand was helped to the locker room by teammates Brady Tkachuk and Niko Mikkola, unable to put any weight on his left leg. Clarke was assessed a 4-minute double-minor for high-sticking.
The injury came just days after captain Sasha Barkov went down in San Jose last Thursday. Coach Paul Maurice said Tuesday that Barkov, who is believed to have suffered a left knee injury of his own, will not need surgery and could return in 6-8 weeks. Barkov has been placed on long-term injured reserve, giving the Panthers roughly $4 million in temporary salary cap relief against the NHL’s $104 million cap ceiling - space the team may need if Marchand follows him to LTIR.
Florida Hockey Now first reported the injury details and the team’s potential roster options.
Despite the chaos, the Panthers are 2-0-2 through four games, collecting six of a possible eight points. Tuesday’s win at Los Angeles was the first game of the season Florida settled in regulation. Jacob Markstrom, who rejoined the Panthers in June and is now 2-0-1, made 19 saves to earn first star honors.
The Kings drew first blood when Alex Laferriere got open on the left side and scored off a sharp pass from Erik Haula at the 19-minute mark of the first period. The Panthers then survived a critical stretch after both Eetu Luostarinen and Dmitry Kulikov were sent to the box, giving Los Angeles an extended 5-on-3 power play. Florida killed the entire sequence, including the second half of Kulikov’s double-minor.
Just as Kulikov stepped out of the penalty box, defenseman Seth Jones jumped into the play deep in the LA zone, charged the net and lifted the puck over Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper at 3:49 of the second period to tie the game. Matthew Tkachuk then gave Florida its first regulation lead of the season at 11:20 of the third, scoring from the right circle after Sam Bennett picked up a turnover by Brandt Clarke in the neutral zone. Luostarinen, who left the game briefly after being struck in the leg by a Marchand shot, returned for the third period.
With both Barkov and Marchand potentially sidelined, the Panthers face a roster puzzle. The team entered the season right against the $104 million salary cap and opened with only 21 players instead of the maximum 23. A second LTIR placement for Marchand would open another estimated $4 million in cap space.
Florida Hockey Now reported that veteran forward Vladimir Tarasenko, a member of the Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup championship team who lives in South Florida, remains unsigned and has been working out with the team during informal summer skates. Tarasenko scored 23 goals with 47 points in 75 games for the Minnesota Wild last season. Former 40-goal scorer Patrik Laine, who played under coach Paul Maurice with the Winnipeg Jets, is also still available on the free-agent market. The Panthers could also promote AHL Charlotte forward Cole Reinhardt, one of the players sent down following training camp.
A trade for former Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin generated attention when Barkov went down, but Florida Hockey Now noted that Larkin’s cap hit and Detroit’s asking price make that scenario unlikely.
The Panthers return to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Saturday for their home opener against the Minnesota Wild at 6 p.m., a game that could feature a familiar face in Tarasenko if the team moves quickly on the free-agent market. Florida’s next road game is Monday at the Buffalo Sabres at 1 p.m. Minnesota holds a 22-10-3 edge over Florida in the all-time regular-season series, with the teams tied 1-1 in their lone meeting last season.