Panthers' Brad Marchand week-to-week with leg injury, Aleksander Barkov out

Fantasy hockey: Marchand's leg injury costs Florida its top power-play option and shelves a winger averaging 0.91 points a night.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 8, 2026

Brad Marchand will miss time week-to-week with a leg injury suffered Tuesday night in Los Angeles, when his left leg buckled under him late in the second period while making a play near the Kings' net. He stayed down for several minutes before teammates helped him off the ice, unable to put weight on his leg, and did not return to the game. The injury came in Marchand's second game back from off-season surgery.

Marchand was averaging 0.91 points a night and anchored Florida's first power-play unit, logging 3:56 a night with the man advantage. His week-to-week status makes him unplayable until he returns, wiping out his three games this week. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe are in line to absorb his power-play minutes.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Brad Marchand

Marchand was producing 0.44 goals and 0.47 assists per game in his recent averages, with 2.8 shots a night and 0.35 power-play points. His 17:53 of ice time per game included 3:56 on the first power-play unit, second most among all Florida skaters. His underlying play grades 89 out of 100 among forwards, a strong mark for shot generation and scoring chances that suggested his production was sustainable.

A week-to-week designation leaves his return date uncertain and makes him impossible to start or add until he is back in the lineup. Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe are the names to watch for his power-play time, though Florida also lost captain Aleksander Barkov to a six-to-eight-week leg injury earlier on this West Coast trip. The Panthers have three games left this week, on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

Aleksander Barkov

Barkov is on injured reserve after hurting his left leg in overtime at San Jose last week and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He cannot play while on injured reserve, so the injury does nothing for a fantasy lineup until he is activated. Barkov was averaging 1.11 points per game in his recent sample, including 0.31 goals and 0.80 assists, along with 2.3 shots a night and 0.43 power-play points.

His 20:20 of ice time a night included 3:21 on the first power-play unit, most among all Florida skaters. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen are the names to watch for his minutes at center, though the Panthers now face a stretched lineup with both their captain and Marchand out. Florida has three games remaining this week, but Barkov will miss all of them.

What to do

• Move Marchand to injured reserve if your league offers the spot, but do not start him or expect points until he is back in the lineup.

• Watch for Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe to gain power-play time with Marchand and Barkov both out.

• Bench Barkov everywhere, as he cannot play while on injured reserve and faces a six-to-eight-week absence.

Schedule this week