George Richards, FHN Publisher
CORAL SPRINGS — Mason Marchment has solidified his spot with the Florida Panthers over the past calendar year only the past few months have seen him in-and-out of the lineup.
None of which was his fault.
Marchment, who has 10 points in just 13 games, appeared to hurt his wrist in Florida’s Nov. 8 loss at Madison Square Garden to the New York Rangers.
He missed six weeks with the injury but came back strong after the extended holiday-Covid break on Dec. 29 (against the Rangers) and played three games before going out again.
This time it was a positive Covid test which did Marchment in.
Now clear of protocol, Marchment was back on the ice Tuesday before Florida’s game against Vancouver and took part in his first full practice since December on Thursday morning.
Marchment’s return with the Panthers could be Friday against Dallas or Saturday against Columbus.
Regardless, he says he cannot wait to return to action.
“Oh yeah, I am more than ready,” Marchment said. “You have to pass a certain threshold with the Covid in order to come back and I am feeling good and ready to go. … I have had some bad luck but everything happens for a reason. I’m just trying to get better every day and be ready to play whenever I am in there.”
On Thursday, Marchment was back on Florida’s top line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart — he was placed up there at the end of last season by Joel Quenneville — but it is likely just to be a temporary assignment.
Carter Verhaeghe was given Thursday off for a maintenance day and is expected to take his spot on Friday.
Marchment could end up on the third line with Anton Lundell and Maxim Mamin.
“You know, our team has been so good. We roll four lines, everyone can score,” he said. “Everyone plays hard, plays good D. Just watching that has made me want to play that much more, do what I can to help. For me, just playing hard and doing the same things I have been trying to do all year.
“It sucks to get Covid and have to miss another 10 days, but that’s just the way it goes.”
Upon his return to the lineup, Marchment picked right up where he left off.
In his final three games before being injured, Marchment had two assists; he had a goal with three points in his three games back prior to the Covid test.
WINNING DEAL
Marchment was all but an afterthought when he was traded to the Panthers before the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline for Denis Malgin.
It was one of Dale Tallon’s final trades as GM of the Panthers — it came a few days before the Vincent Trocheck blockbuster — and ended up being one of his better ones.
At the time, it appeared to be a deal in which Florida simply cleared up salary cap space and got a minor league player (perhaps one with a little upside) in return.
In Marchment, Florida got back an undrafted forward who spent much of his pro career in the AHL as well as part of a season with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
Marchment went to AHL Springfield for six games before things were called to a halt.
He spent the summer with the Panthers during their bubble training camp and was with the team during the Islanders series in Toronto but did not play.
The following training camp, the Panthers placed Marchment on waivers — meaning any team could have claimed him.
None did.
Good news for the Panthers — and Marchment.
By clearing waivers, Marchment was assigned to the expanded taxi squad where he remained for the first eight games before making his Panthers debut against Detroit on Feb. 7.
Marchment was moved to the taxi squad for the next nine games.
He returned to the lineup Feb. 25 against Dallas and made quite an impression with an assist, a bunch of hits and a couple of blocked shots.
Marchment did not leave the lineup again as he continued to show his worth and gained the trust of his coaches — especially Quenneville.
In his four games upon being put back in off the taxi squad, Marchment had an assist in his first three games before getting his first NHL goal in a 5-4 win in Nashville.
“I am just trying to play my game. Q has shown a lot of confidence in putting me out there,” Marchment said at the time.
“I’m just trying to battle for him and for the boys. I feel like it has been going well and I’m going to keep rolling with it, keep playing hard and heavy. … It’s a mindset where it is confidence and believing in yourself.”
By the end of the season, Marchment was up on the top line clearing space and chasing down pucks for Barkov and Verhaeghe.
He ended up with two goals and 10 points in 33 games — which he has matched in 13 games this season.
”I think Marchy is the one guy who came out of that situation, of being in The Squad where he all of a sudden became a regular,” Quenneville said last season. “You want to take advantage of the situation, be consistent in your game and contribute.”
Marchment’s success in Florida has certainly been noticed in Toronto, with some lamenting the trade ever took place.
Malgin, although talented, never really grabbed a spot in Florida despite flashes of brilliance.
After going scoreless in eight games with the Leafs before the Covid-19 shutdown, Malgin has spent the past two seasons playing in his native Switzerland.
Marchment, of course, has turned himself into a very valuable member of a very deep — and very good — Panthers team.
”We all push each other and we all want each other to succeed,” Marchment said Thursday. “We all want each other to do good things and have some fun along the way.
“It’s definitely huge when you can roll four lines and everyone is competitive, playing their role and doing what they’re supposed to do. We’re going to be hard to beat.”
What comes next for Marchment’s career will be interesting.
A pending free agent, Marchment can expect a nice raise on the $800,000 he is making this season — either with the Panthers or somewhere else.