The Panthers will face Ottawa without stars Marchand and Tkachuk, but young Vilmanis will make his NHL debut as Florida aims for a crucial road win.
The Florida Panthers will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night in Ottawa.
Star forwards Brad Marchand and Matthew Takchuk will not play against the Senators, and young forward Sandis Vilmanis will make his NHL debut for Florida.
Marchand missed Thursday’s loss in Montreal after being held out of the third period on Tuesday in Toronto, also a loss, with an undisclosed injury.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said it was not a major injury, but something Marchand has been battling for much of the season, and that he wanted to give it time to heal.
That time has stretched into Saturday.
Tkachuk, meanwhile, has been getting closer and closer to making his regular season debut, participating in the past few Panthers practices without wearing a non-contact jersey.
He’s expected to play sometime during Florida’s six-game road trip, which will have three games left after they play the Sens on Saturday: Monday in Buffalo, Friday in Carolina and Saturday in Washington.
"They will not play tonight," Maurice said regarding Tkachuk and Marchand. "That's about it. Nothing has changed."
As for Vilmanis, the 21-year-old will crack an NHL roster for the first time on the heels of a strong season in Charlotte.
Vilmanis co-leads the team in points with 19 in 31 games (also with 19 points on the Checkers are Wilmer Skoog, who leads the team with 11 goals, and Gracyn Sawchyn, who has logged a team-leading 13 assists).
A fifth round selected of the Panthers back at the 2022 NHL Draft, Vilmanis was also named as a member of Team Latvia for the 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this week, so it’s been quite a few days for the youngster.
"I'm super excited," he said after the morning skate. "A lot of mixed emotions, to be honest. With the Olympics and this, it's just crazy. I'm super excited to be here, super excited to start (my NHL career)."
He skated on a line with Luke Kunin and Jack Studnicka during Florida’s morning skate in Ottawa, which is likely where he lines up for the game.
While Marchand and Tkachuk were on the ice for the skate, they will both remain out of the lineup as the Cats hope to get in the win column for the first time on the road trip.
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Photo caption: Forward Sandis Vilmanis skates in a game with the Charlotte Checkers against the Toronto Marlies on Nov. 19, 2025 at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte. (Source: Charlotte Checkers)