Florida Panthers: Brad Marchand to Miss Start of Season after Surgery

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers will start their new season without star forward Brad Marchand after he had surgery in August.

Marchand is skating with general manager Bill Zito saying he expects Marchand back "early in the season" as players reported to training camp for physicals.

The first day of practice is Thursday morning at the Iceplex.

"We're going to be very conservative in bringing him back,'' Zito said. "It's not really a worry or a concern for me.''

Marchand is believed to have been dealing with hip and sports hernia concerns since last December, with the Panthers shutting him down in March after limiting his action before he played for Team Canada at the Olympics.

Marchand announced that he had surgery in August when he made a video explaining why he could not play in in former Boston teammate Zdeno Chara 's 'Last Shift' charity game.

"I won't be able to make Z's game,'' Marchand says in the video post. "Unfortunately, I had to have a surgery, was trying to fix a problem without surgery, but unfortunately that was unable to happen and had to kind of do it last minute.''

Last season, Marchand said he aggravated his old injury — he previously had hip surgery as well as a sports hernia surgery while with the Bruins — in December.

Marchand went into January with 23 goals and 55 points which led the Panthers.

He hoped to be able to rehab the injuries, but surgery was necessary.

Panthers Preseason (Four Games): Game 1: Sunday vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.