Brad Marchand is ready for his Florida debut. The Panthers said Marchand — who, because of an upper-body injury, hasn't appeared in a game with Florida since being acquired in a trade with Boston three weeks ago — will be in the lineup Friday night when the team plays host to the Utah Hockey Club.

Marchand, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins on March 7 for a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, has been out since March 1 with an upper-body injury. He had been considered week to week but has been skating with the Panthers since March 11. He practiced again with the Panthers on Thursday.

Brad Marchand spent 15 seasons and a half wearing the Boston Bruins' sweater and appearing in more than 1,100 games before pulling on a Florida Panthers jersey for the first time on Friday night. After assisting Sam Bennett's overtime winner to seal a 2–1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club,