Paul Maurice's latest update on Brad Marchand's return for the Florida Panthers

Health is finally trending up, but the schedule is about to bite. This three game trip is a standings check with no soft landings.

Paul Maurice said Brad Marchand is certainly close and day to day, and the staff is watching how he feels each morning. That lines up with earlier updates that had him day to day.

When Marchand is in, the whole bench plays louder. When he is out, Florida has to grind for offense and it shows in their shift to shift confidence.

Before the injury, Marchand had 23 G 23 A 46 P in 41 games at age 37. He was drafted in 2006 round 3 by Boston, and he still lives for big moments.

The road starts Thursday in Winnipeg, and the Jets love to turn games into board battles and net front scrums. Florida has to win puck races early or it becomes a long night.

Saturday in Minnesota is a different problem, less chaos, more structure. The Wild squeeze the middle and make you dump pucks until your legs feel heavy.

Then comes the back to back travel, Saturday night to Sunday afternoon rhythm, hotel to plane to morning skate. That is where details slip, and where good teams steal points.

Sunday in Chicago can look friendly on paper, but it is the classic tired legs trap. If Florida gets loose on line changes, the game turns into track meet defense.

Panthers fans can feel the nerves, because this trip can flip the mood fast, either into belief or into frustration.

A Marchand return would help the top six, but it also helps the power play with a real net front pest again. Winnipeg and Minnesota both make you earn the inside, and that is his office.

In practice today, Marchand was slotted right onto that Luostarinen, Lundell line, and that tells you a lot about where Maurice's head is at.

That trio already plays a heavy, details-first game, good sticks, hard routes, quick pressure, and Marchand fits that DNA perfectly when he's not at 100 percent yet.

It's also a smart way to ease him back without forcing instant top-line offense, because Luostarinen and Lundell can shoulder the defensive load while Marchand finds his timing.

If he can handle those minutes, win a few puck battles, and make the forecheck annoying again, it's the kind of «quiet impact» that can tilt a road game even before the points show up.

This trip is not about pretty hockey, it is about points and posture. If Marchand can get back Thursday, the Panthers get an edge, if not, they still have to win the hard way.