The Florida Panthers are hitting a rough patch at the worst possible time. With the Olympic break looming and playoff positioning tightening across the league, Florida is trying to claw its way up the Atlantic Division standings. But Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres didn’t just sting on the scoreboard-it may have come with another costly blow to the lineup.
Sam Bennett exited the game with an injury and did not return. For a team already skating on thin ice when it comes to health, losing a player like Bennett-who brings grit, versatility, and a heavy presence in all zones-is a tough pill to swallow.
Even in a fully healthy lineup, his absence would be felt. In the current state of the roster?
It’s another gut punch.
The Panthers have been dealing with a steady stream of injury setbacks all season, and the list is growing. Matthew Tkachuk only recently got back on the ice after managing injuries that lingered from last year’s playoff grind.
Captain Aleksander Barkov remains sidelined with an ACL injury. Tomas Nosek, Dmitry Kulikov, and Seth Jones are also out, leaving the Panthers scrambling to fill roles and keep pace in a competitive division.
Tkachuk didn’t sugarcoat the situation after the game. “It seems like somebody is getting injured every night,” he said.
And it’s hard to argue with him. The Panthers are trying to stay afloat, but every time they seem to get a key piece back, another one goes down.
Monday’s loss marked Florida’s fourth straight defeat, and the timing couldn’t be worse. They’re now tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings and sit nine points behind the Boston Bruins, who managed to pick up a point in their Stadium Series loss to the Lightning on Sunday.
The good news? There’s still time.
But it’s slipping. The Panthers have to make some tough calls in the coming weeks-whether that’s looking to the trade market, calling up reinforcements, or simply riding out the storm and hoping for a clean bill of health on the other side of the break.
For now, the focus is on recovery. Getting Bennett back quickly would be a major boost, but given the way this season has gone, Florida knows better than to count on anything. The margin for error is shrinking, and if the Panthers want to make a serious push, they’ll need their core healthy-and soon.