More Good News For Panthers, More Proof a Trade Isn’t Coming

Pierre LeBrun of TSN offered another injury update following another scary incident involving a Florida Panthers player. The NHL insider said Brad Marchand’s lower-body injury, which he suffered Tuesday in LA, is not season-ending. In fact, while we don’t know the results of the MRI that he had this week, early indications say that he’ll be out “weeks, not months.”

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This is the second bit of good news for Florida, coming just hours after learning that Aleksander Barkov will miss six to eight weeks, not the entire season, which some had feared after his awkward fall.

Of course, the Panthers would prefer to be injury-free entirely. To lose both Barkov and Marchand is going to sting. It also means that no replacements are coming anytime soon. With both veterans out for a shorter time, the Panthers can’t and won’t pivot to the trade or free-agent market.

Any thoughts that Dylan Larkin might be on their radar should be put to rest. The Panthers can’t spend the money they’ve got to bring in Larkin and his $8.7 million cap hit. They’ll need to keep cap space to reactivate both Barkov and Marchand from LTIR. They’ll also probably avoid free agency.

Pierre LeBrun reports that Vladimir Tarasenko and longtime agent Dan Milstein parted ways in late summer, and while he searches for a new agent, he might have missed an opportunity to join the Panthers. Florida made Tarasenko an offer this summer, but it was for no more than $850,000 because they had no cap space. Tarasenko said no, and it’s unlikely the Panthers will circle back.

Florida will have to fill holes internally. Anything they add must be short-term and dispensable once their two big guns are healthy.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Kings, Jets, Oilers & Maple Leafs