Brad Marchand was back on the ice with his Florida Panthers teammates on Wednesday in San Jose as recovers from a recurring injury which required surgery in August.
This was the second time Marchand has been on the ice with the Panthers; the first came during training camp when, as Paul Maurice explained, the team was only doing a skills-heavy workout.
Marchand has been skating the past few weeks including with his teammates during their informal workouts before the start of camp.
Maurice said at the start of camp that Marchand would be out for the entirety of October in order to properly rehabilitate after his surgery.
That timeline may have changed.
”He is probably further ahead than we thought,’’ Maurice said after Wednesday’s workout. “The window is still there. But he survived a Patric Hornqvist skate the other day, and not too many healthy people can do that.
“So, I don’t know where he is at, but I think he is closer … than the end of the month.’’
The Panthers, coming off a season-opening 1-0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime on Tuesday, play the host San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Gus Forsling, who won the game with a point shot with 4.3 seconds left Tuesday, did not practice on Wednesday. Neither did Brady Tkachuk.
Maurice said both will be in the lineup against the Sharks.
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