Paul Maurice Reveals Traumatizing Stanley Cup Final Memory Involving Brad Marchand

The Florida Panthers enter the new season short-handed. Matthew Tkachuk will be sidelined until at least December, and captain Aleksander Barkov will likely miss most, if not all, of the season after suffering torn knee ligaments.

Depth had to be replenished for a club seeking a third consecutive Stanley Cup. That necessity put the Panthers in action on Friday, where they claimed forward Cole Schwindt off waivers.

This replacement of depth will hopefully allow the Panthers to get back to the Finals, and head coach Paul Maurice is hoping it will be a less traumatic experience, as he accidentally walked in on Brad Marchand naked during the Stanley Cup Finals vs. the Oilers.

It's a circle back moment for both: Schwindt was part of the trade sending Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar to Calgary in exchange for Tkachuk in 2022. The Panthers weren't willing to let him go then, and now he is in the family again.

Schwindt, 23, played 42 games with Vegas last year, posting a goal and seven assists.

His previous destinations in the NHL have been short: three games with the Panthers in 2021-22 and four games with the Flames in 2023-24, when he didn't pick up a point.

His return comes at a time when the Florida team is in need of bodies to keep the line going until its stars return.

There's also a family tie: Schwindt's younger brother, Kai, is in the Panthers' organization. He showed up at camp last autumn before he was shipped to AHL Charlotte earlier this week.

Florida has survived hard times in the past, and the return of Schwindt provides them with an extra resource as they weather this tough stretch.

If the Panthers can survive these early missteps, their chances of making another playoff run deep into the spring are anything but over.