Injury Update: Positive signs for Brad Marchand at Monday's practice

Marchand was back on the ice Monday and, importantly, he wasn't in a no-contact jersey.

Even if he spent extra time working with the scratches after morning skate, that's still a real step forward for a guy Florida has badly missed.

The best part is what it signals emotionally.

When a veteran like Marchand is moving around in a regular sweater, it changes how the whole bench talks, how the room carries itself, and how fans start circling the next game on the calendar.

And it's not just him.

With Matthew Tkachuk confirmed back in the lineup tonight, Florida suddenly feels like it's shifting from survival hockey to bully hockey again.

If Brad Marchand is truly next, that's two tone-setters dropping into the mix, guys who win puck battles, live in the greasy areas, and turn the forecheck into a nightly problem for opponents.

The key detail is this isn't some surprise comeback, Maurice has been saying for weeks that Tkachuk was «on track» after his offseason surgery, and now the Panthers finally get to cash in on that momentum.

As a fan, it's hard not to smile, because this team already plays nasty, and Marchand brings a different kind of edge.

There's also the practical side, because somebody eventually has to come out when stars come back.

Marchand working with the scratches is a reminder that coaches will ease him in, and it could mean a depth forward, or a recent call-up, becomes the odd man out once the lineup is whole.

That's not a knock on the fill-ins, it's a compliment to the standard.

In a league where center depth and playoff-style wingers are gold, Florida getting healthier is the kind of development that can flip a season's mood in a week.

For now, the headline is simple.

Marchand is trending up, Tkachuk is right there, and the Panthers are inching toward a version of themselves that feels downright unfair for opponents.