The defending champions are about to start their new season, and their most ferocious Panther is not in the team. 22 goals and 35 assists for a total of 57 points—this was Matthew Tkachuk’s record in 52 games for the Florida Panthers last season before he was injured. He did return in the postseason, tied for the team lead with 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 playoff games, and capped off Florida’s championship run by scoring the clinching goal in Game 6 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. delivering a crucial performance when it mattered most. Now that he is missing the 2025 season, it leaves a very important spot empty in the team. But the Florida coach has confidence in the replacement, Brad Marchand.

Florida Panthers reporter Jameson Olive reported Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice’s statements on X on October 7th. “Lines will obviously be fluid for a while, but Maurice said he’s very interested to see how Marchand plays with Bennett in tonight’s opener. In terms of style of play—specifically how good his hands are—Maurice views Marchand as a very similar player to Tkachuk,” the post read. The Panthers forward was injured during the offseason before the 2025‑26 NHL season. In August, he underwent surgery and is expected to be out until December.

Though older than Tkachuk, on paper, Marchand is a capable deputy, with both players blending a physical play style with skill and speed. Both Tkachuk and Marchand are also known for their superior stick handling, with former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery once saying of Marchand, “It’s amazing how he comes up with pucks. Like the pucks in between three bodies and he’s like a little Tasmanian Devil — he’s twirling all around, and the puck just seems to follow him…He tracks it. He fights for it. He’ll bite your leg off for it.”

Brad Marchand is well-known for his ability to keep the puck under pressure: holding it down low, battling in corners, using his body, and pushing off defenders. Tkachuk also gets praised for exactly this: being comfortable in heavy traffic, going to the net, and battling defensemen.

While Brad Marchand sure is a good replacement for one of the best on the team, the Florida Panthers have really been hit hard by injury at a crucial time.

An injury plagued title defense for the Florida Panthers

Though Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be back in the lineup by December, the prognosis is less positive for captain Alexander Barkov. After injuring his knee in practice, it emerged that Barkov had in fact hurt both his MCL and ACL — an injury he had to undergo surgery for, which means he’s out for the remainder of the season. Losing your captain and the franchise leader in a number of key statistics is a huge loss to the team.

But as Brad Marchand said, “You can’t replace that. But collectively as a group, you just try to all pick up a little piece of that, and hopefully as a group, you can come together.”

But it’s not just Tkachuk and Barkov. GM Bill Zito announced on media day at Baptist Health IcePlex back in September that Tomas Nosek will also be out of the team when they open the season. How long? “Months, for sure,” Zito said. Nosek played a steady, supportive role for the Florida Panthers during the 2024–25 season, primarily serving as a depth forward.

With all three players placed on injury reserve, the Panthers will have to dig deep to keep the three-peat dream alive. The Winter Olympics in February will also briefly interrupt the season, making it a challenging one. It’s a big test to their depth and endurance; can they rise to the occasion? Well, as Sasha Barkov once put it, “Everyone in the room just needs to step up a little bit more. Play better and be better.”