Brad Marchand Reveals He Was Forced To Undergo “Last-Minute” Surgery

Brad Marchand claims to have had offseason surgery on lingering lower-body issues. He’s believed to be dealing with a hip and sports hernia issue and could be out for some time. The news comes as a surprise to many, and the question now is, will he be ready for the start of the 2026-27 NHL season? It sounds like there’s some doubt.

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The Florida Panthers veteran explained in an Instagram video this week that he had hoped to avoid surgery, tried to fix the issue without it, but ultimately had to have it done at the last minute. As a result, he will miss Zdeno Chara‘s charity game next week.

The issues weren’t new. He was hurt near the end of last season, and Florida managed his workload through the team’s final games to keep him healthy enough for the Winter Olympics, where he suited up for Team Canada. But after returning from Milan, he lasted only six more games before head coach Paul Maurice shut him down for good. Maurice later said Marchand simply couldn’t continue playing through it.

Marchand still finished his first full season in Florida with 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games, ranking second on the team in goals. Panthers GM Bill Zito said as recently as July 1 that Marchand’s rehab looked to be on track and that surgery wasn’t expected. Clearly, and as Marchand indicated in his video, that changed.

The Panthers are slated to open training camp in about a month, with Marchand penciled in on the third line alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen. Marchand is about to enter the second year of the six-year, $31.5 million contract extension he signed to stay with the Panthers in June 2025. As for how this might impact the team’s overall cap situation, the Panthers are projected to have only about $34K in space. If Marchand misses time but doesn’t qualify for LTIR, at least 10 games and 24 days, Florida could have trouble carrying a full 23-man roster.

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