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 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.

The Florida Panthers made one of the biggest moves at the NHL trade deadline when they acquired forward Brad Marchand from the Boston Bruins. Because he was injured at the time of the trade, they had to wait a few weeks before they could actually see him in their lineup.