EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFlorida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, out since March 6, made his season debut Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks.Marchand, the 38-year-old veteran who had 27 goals and 54 points in his first full season with the Panthers last year, underwent offseason surgery, and was originally expected to miss the first month.But coach Paul Maurice confirmed Marchand's return before his team took the ice in Anaheim, and the left wing took his slot on the third line, playing alongside Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart.Marchand revealed in mid-August that he had a procedure, the details of which were not released. He was dogged by a lower-body issue for much of last season, when Florida's hopes of contending for what would have been a third consecutive Stanley Cup were derailed by injuries throughout the lineup."He's going to take the month of October for rehab," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the team's first day of training camp last month. "That may mean he's ready to play right at the end of it. That may mean he needs a short period of time, assuming no setbacks. But we're planning on rehabbing for October."Marchand missed a career-high 30 games last season. He was effective before getting shut down in early March, around the time it became clear that Florida wouldn't qualify for the playoffs.Marchand was on the ice during the team's training camp last month in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but he was not an active participant in team drills.Sunday's decision comes a day after Florida announced it placed center Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve, meaning the injury to his left leg will keep him sidelined for at least the next 10 games and quite possibly beyond. The Panthers did not reveal any details of Barkov's injury.Sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan that the Panthers are optimistic that Barkov's injury is not season-ending. Barkov will continue to be evaluated after he underwent an MRI this weekend that did not reveal the worst-case scenario, sources said.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
