“There’s not a next man for his skates,” said Paul Maurice after Aleksander Barkov’s injuries came to light. Following the revelation, the Panthers’ captain was ruled to miss most of the upcoming season. breaking fans’ hearts worldwide. However, Brad Marchand, one of the most experienced names in the Florida roster, believes moments like these are what make or break stars.

When Marchand arrived in Miami, many hockey fans thought it would be a tough transition after the star having played for Boston for so many seasons. But, being the adaptable NHL-er that he is, the 37-year-old winger hit the ground running. Bagging 20 points in 23 playoff games last season, Marchand became a driving force behind the Panthers’ second-straight Lord Stanley Cup triumph. And now, as defending the title looks like a tall task right now, the Canadian thinks that the team needs to step up.

In a recent video shared by the official Florida Panthers’ X handle, Brad Marchand could be heard talking about how the captain’s absence shouldn’t be a determining factor for the team’s campaign. “You know, you can have guys go down and still have success, because there’s not one player that you rely on. It’s a group game, a team game…it doesn’t matter who’s in or out,” the hockey veteran hockey star could be heard saying. With that, he also noted that the best and most successful NHL teams always manage to find the winning formula even in the face of the toughest adversity.

But even Marchand had to admit that losing Barkov is a severe blow to the Panthers’ plans. “Obviously, it’s unfortunate that we lost our best player and our best leader,” he said. And yet, that could turn out to be a boon in disguise, the winger posited, saying, “Again, that just creates the opportunity for someone else to be big, someone else to fill into a hole that maybe they didn’t think they were needed for a while because Barky was there. But it gives an opportunity for others to step up and have a voice and lead in different ways.”

“Incredible things can happen in moments like that,” Marchand’s voice reeked of confidence. And that shouldn’t be too surprising, to be honest. After all, multiple NHL experts had dismissed Florida’s chances of winning the Cup last season, and yet the South Miami team proved all of them wrong by retaining the coveted hockey silverware.

As for the 2025-26 roster, Marchand knows well that there are plenty of names who can make sure Barkov’s absence from the locker room isn’t felt. But then again, the captain isn’t the only one who will be missing from the roster for a significant portion of the upcoming season.

Brad Marchand & Co. will need to pull up their socks

With a historic three-peat on the table, many Panthers fans seem to believe the team’s chances of pulling that off look slim. And why wouldn’t they? Just days before the news of Aleksander Barkov’s MCL and ACL injuries came to the fore, another big bit of information had the Florida loyalists already feeling the blues. Matthew Tkachuk, recovering from a lower-body injury, is likely to be out of action till December. However, the Panthers’ GM, Bill Zito, noted that a final word on the matter might be yet to come, joking, “Don’t hold me to that.”

But then again, if anyone can make sure to keep the morale high in these trying times, it’s Brad Marchand. Despite standing on the verge of 40, the winger tied and broke several decades-old records last season, once again proving definitively that age is just a number. Naturally, when the top brass extended his contract for another six years for a jaw-dropping $31.5 million, fans weren’t that surprised by the move.

But can Brad Marchand lead by example and hold the fort? We’ll have to see for ourselves!