SUNRISE - The Florida Panthers open their home schedule Saturday against the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena at 6 p.m. ET, carrying a 2-0-2 road-trip record into the building but without captain Aleksander Barkov, who is out 6-8 weeks with a lower-body injury, and Brad Marchand, who will miss the next six weeks after suffering a lower-body injury during Thursday’s 2-1 win at Los Angeles.

The back-to-back absences reshape Florida’s forward lines heading into a home opener the Panthers have never lost in recent memory. Florida is 7-0-0 in its last seven home openers, the fifth-best mark among active NHL franchises. With Marchand now out, Lars Eller moves up to skate alongside Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart.

“Showed that we’re pretty comfortable in those low-scoring tight games. We have to be right now. Not producing a whole lot offensively, but doing an unbelievable job defensively. Each game has been super intense with every team that we’ve played,” Matthew Tkachuk said of Florida’s first four games.

Tkachuk, who has posted nine points (3G, 6A) in eight games against Minnesota since 2022-23, also spoke to the significance of finally playing in Sunrise. “It’s seeing the energy from the crowd, playing at home again. We’re very lucky here to have a big home-ice advantage with the crowd. It’s been probably six months since we’ve played a real game at home, so they’ll be fired up.”

Defenseman Aaron Ekblad returns to the lineup after missing two games for the birth of his first child. Since 2022-23, Ekblad is tied for first on the Panthers with nine points (3G, 6A) in seven games against the Wild. The 30-year-old has averaged 20:55 of ice time per contest this season and tallied one assist in his two appearances.

Jacob Markstrom starts in goal for Florida. The 36-year-old netminder is 2-0-1 with a .927 save percentage and has already saved 3.1 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.com. In 16 career games against Minnesota, Markstrom is 10-3-2 with a .925 save percentage.

Sam Lafferty, recalled from the AHL last week, will make his Panthers debut centering the fourth line between Boko Imama and Garnet Hathaway. Signed to a one-year, two-way contract July 1, the 31-year-old has produced 92 points (41G, 51A) in 378 career NHL games. “Obviously, super excited. I just want to play a simple game and try to contribute. These guys, my line, has been effective. Just play a simple game and bring my speed. I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Lafferty said.

Brady Tkachuk, who ranks second on the Panthers with 17 hits, called the home opener a perfect 10. “It’s 10 out of 10. I can’t wait. Being part of this team for the last little bit, it’s an amazing fanbase. I’m really looking forward to it, sharing that moment with everybody,” he said.

Coach Paul Maurice noted the crowd’s role in momentum swings. “At home, when the puck hits the post, everybody goes nuts. You hit the post on the road, nobody cares. It’s just dead. You didn’t get anything. There’s no ‘We’re on them now!’ … It’ll be good to get some positive reinforcement.”

Minnesota arrives at 2-1-1 after a 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday. Kirill Kaprizov, who has recorded 17 points (6G, 11A) in 10 career games against Florida - 12 of those on the power play - leads a Wild power play that is converting at 38.5% this season. Jesper Wallstedt, 23, is expected to start in goal for Minnesota after going 2-1-1 with a .927 save percentage across all four Wild games. Defenseman Brock Faber remains out after surgery to repair a fractured skull sustained during the preseason. Former Panther Nico Sturm, who skated in eight postseason games to help Florida win the 2025 Stanley Cup, is expected to play in his first game back in Sunrise.