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Schmid will start Friday's home game against the Jets, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
Schmid has picked up wins in each of his last two appearances, and he'll draw a third consecutive start Friday. Across his last five outings, he's gone 4-1-0 with a 2.60 GAA and .893 save percentage. During Tuesday's road start against Winnipeg, Schmid turned aside 24 of 25 shots (.960 save percentage) en route to the 5-1 victory.
Marchand (leg) has started skating and is tentatively three weeks away from returning, per George Richards.
Marchand has appeared in just two games for the Panthers this season, as he sustained a left-leg injury on Oct. 6. He seems to be progressing through his expected six-week timeline for return smoothly, as he's now down to half that. The 38-year-old winger will likely be ramped up over the next few weeks, and barring any setbacks, he should have a chance to return to the Panthers' lineup prior to U.S. Thanksgiving. For now, he's a solid IR stash in all fantasy formats.
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Panthers' Aleksander Barkov: Resumes skating
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Barkov (lower body) resumed skating Wednesday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.
While head coach Paul Maurice said Thursday that Barkov is still believed to be approximately four weeks away from returning, the 31-year-old appears to be making encouraging progress in his recovery. Barkov initially received a return timetable of 6-8 weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury in early October, and Thursday's update puts him on track to return around the later end of that estimate.
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Panthers' Sam Reinhart: Strikes on power play
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Reinhart scored a power-play goal on two shots and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.
Reinhart restored a three-goal lead for the Panthers after Adam Lowry's shorthanded tally got the Jets on the board. The 30-year-old Reinhart has a goal and an assist over his last two games. He's run streaky this season but should continue to see prominent minutes in Florida's offense. Reinhart has six goals, four assists, 39 shots, 21 hits and an even plus-minus rating across 13 outings.
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Panthers' Niko Mikkola: Two points Tuesday including GWG
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Mikkola scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over the Jets.
The 30-year-old blueliner gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead midway through the first period when his centering pass deflected home off Mario Ferraro's stick. Mikkola has been held off the scoresheet in 11 of 13 games to begin the season but has multi-point efforts in the other two, producing two goals, four points, 20 shots on net, 15 hits, 15 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-3 rating. Tuesday's game-winner was the first of his career.
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Panthers' Seth Jones: Three helpers in win over Jets
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Jones notched three assists, two on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over Winnipeg.
All three helpers came in the first period as the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and put the game away early. The 32-year-old Jones appears headed for a career-best campaign -- he hasn't topped 50 points in a season since 2021-22 with Chicago, but through the first 13 games of 2026-27 he's erupted for one goal and 15 points, with nine of his assists coming on the power play. He's added 36 shots on net, 15 hits, 11 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating to his ledger.
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Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe: Lights lamp twice in Tuesday's win
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Verhaeghe scored two power-play goals in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over Winnipeg.
Both goals came in the first period as the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and put the game away early. Verhaeghe has three multi-goal performances in the last seven games, and through 13 contests to begin the season he's produced eight goals and 11 points, including four power-play tallies and two game-winners.
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Panthers' Brady Tkachuk: Three-point effort in Winnipeg
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Tkachuk scored an even-strength goal and added two power-play assists in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.
The younger Tkachuk brother helped set up tallies by Carter Verhaeghe in the first period and Sam Reinhart in the second, before he wrapped up the scoring with a goal of his own in the third. Tkachuk is thriving in his first season with the Panthers, and through his first 13 games for the club he's delivered eight goals and 15 points, including nine points (three goals, six assists) with the man advantage, along with 40 shots on net, 48 hits, 17 PIM and a minus-2 rating.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Four helpers in Tuesday's win
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Tkachuk pocketed four assists, two on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.
It's the third time in the last seven games that the elder Tkachuk brother has dished three or more helpers. Over 13 contests to begin the season, the 28-year-old has piled up four goals and 20 points with 27 shots on net, 22 hits, 14 PIM and a plus-1 rating, with 11 of his points (one goal, 10 assists) coming on the power play.
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Panthers' Akira Schmid: Cruises to fourth win
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Schmid made 24 saves in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Jets.
The Panthers grabbed a 3-0 lead midway through the first period and Schmid never looked back, although an Adam Lowry shortie in the second spoiled his shutout bid. The 26-year-old netminder continues to handle No. 1 duties while Jacob Markstrom (upper body) is on the shelf, and through seven outings this season Schmid sports a 4-2-1 record with a 2.99 GAA and .885 save percentage.
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Panthers' Jack Devine: Scores twice for Charlotte
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Devine scored two goals in AHL Charlotte's 6-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday.
Devine is up to six goals and two assists over nine contests this season. He's also racked up 30 shots on net. The 23-year-old winger made six appearances with the Panthers in 2025-26, and if injuries pile up for the big club again, he'll be in the mix to get called up.
Schmid will defend the road net against Winnipeg on Tuesday, per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Schmid is coming off a 19-save effort in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago. He has won three of his last four outings, improving to 3-2-1 this season with a 3.34 GAA and an .872 save percentage in six appearances. Winnipeg (4-4-3) sits 29th in the league during the 2026-27 campaign with 2.45 goals per game.
Panthers' Sandis Vilmanis: Finds twine for first goal of year
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Vilmanis scored a goal on four shots and added two hits in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.
Vilmanis was scratched Thursday versus the Penguins amid a slow start to the campaign. That may end up serving as his wake-up call -- he scored Sunday while playing on the second line at even strength. Vilmanis has two points, 15 shots, 32 hits and a minus-2 rating over 11 appearances. If he can get his offense on track, the 22-year-old winger has fantasy potential as a power forward, though it'll be a couple of years before he's close to his peak.
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Panthers' Lars Eller: Nets game-winner
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Eller scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.
Eller's goal was the game-winner, coming with 2:23 left in the third period. The 37-year-old has moved around the lineup early in the campaign to help the Panthers overcome some early injuries. He's done a fair job of adding depth scoring with a goal and five assists over 12 outings. He's also produced 11 shots on net, seven hits, eight blocked shots and a plus-3 rating. Eller's value remains higher on the ice than in fantasy, as he doesn't do enough of anything to move the needle outside the deepest formats.
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Panthers' Akira Schmid: Makes 19 saves in road win
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Schmid stopped 19 of 21 shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.
Schmid posted a single-game save percentage above .900 for the first time this season, and this performance against a struggling opponent was enough to snap the Panthers' brief two-game losing streak. The netminder's most important contribution came late in the third period, when he denied Cole Smith on a breakaway and stopped the ensuing rebound to keep the game tied at 2-2. Schmid should remain the primary option between the pipes for Florida as long as Jacob Markstrom (upper body) is unavailable.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Ends goal drought Sunday
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Tkachuk scored a power-play goal on three shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over Chicago.
Tkachuk found the back of the net for the first time since Oct. 10 and snapped a six-game goal drought with his fourth tally of the season, redirecting Seth Jones' shot just five seconds into a first-period power play. Even with the lack of goals, Tkachuk remains a key player for the Panthers and has failed to crack the scoresheet in just two of his 12 games this season, tallying 16 points (four goals, 12 assists), 26 shots, 22 hits and two blocked shots.
