Marchand's Injury Threatens Panthers' Repeat

For the NHL, it's March 19th.

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The Florida Panthers are struggling to defend their title in the 2025-26 season with a record

of 33 wins, 32 losses and 3 overtime losses.

They trail the Detroit Red Wings by 13 points for the final wild card spot in the Eastern

Conference with 6 teams in between.

Still, a 3-peat Stanley Cup dream remains mathematically alive.

Coach Paul Marisse announced that forward Brad Mershan's recent injury might need surgery,

though the full severity is unclear.

This comes as the gritty veteran continues to play a key role, despite his physical style.

Marchand turns 38 on May 11th, 2026, making him the oldest player on the roster ahead of

goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Mershan's worry about father-time catching up, especially with nagging issues over his

six-year contract.

Since joining the Panthers in a surprising trade over a year ago, Mershan has delivered

strong numbers.

In 62 regular season games, he scored 29 goals with 29 assists.

In last season's Cup run, he added 10 goals and 10 assists over 20 games with a plus

17 rating, nearly earning playoff MVP honors.

Starting ahead, Mershan should return for next season's start, but the injury clouds

is long-term output.

Even so, his leadership and production have boosted the team's championship culture, making

the deal look smart if they get one more solid year.

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