Florida Panthers lineup projection for Friday's matchup in Carolina

This team has been living in maintenance mode lately, with optional skates and constant shuffling. So when Paul Maurice gets a real, game-like practice, it becomes a small event.

Early drills gave Panthers fans something to chew on, because the usual scoring look stayed intact. The Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, A.J. Greer trio was together again, and the top group had familiar chemistry too.

The eyebrow-raiser was Tkachuk taking reps on the wing in a depth look, which at least tells you he's touching more «real hockey» moments. It doesn't mean he's cleared, but it does mean the coaching staff is experimenting.

Maurice has said before that timing is the first hurdle for injured players, then contact, then pace that actually feels like a shift. Today is where those layers can finally stack with repetition, not just light touches.

As a fan, you can feel the difference when the room gets even one good health day.

The other headline is what we still do not know, because there's no new word on Seth Jones yet. The last meaningful update had Maurice calling him week to week after the Winter Classic injury, and that's still where it sits.

That matters because the schedule is about to squeeze them again. Florida goes right back on the road for a Friday and Saturday back to back, first in Carolina, then in Washington.

Brad Marchand had a positive practice today, and you could feel the optimism creep back in without anyone getting carried away. Paul Maurice said Marchand is improving and still day to day, but he was able to jump into some contact drills even though the team stayed off him.

That's a real step forward from where he was a couple days ago, and it at least puts the Carolina game in play. Nothing is guaranteed yet, but when a guy goes from avoiding contact to testing it, you're usually getting close.

Tkachuk taking wing reps is also a little reminder that when he does return, Florida will want him playing fast, not thinking. A practice like this is where timing comes back, and where confidence starts looking real again.