The Florida Panthers didn’t just take a hit on the scoreboard Monday night in their 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres - they may have taken a much bigger blow to their already-depleted center depth.
Sam Bennett left the game early with an upper-body injury and did not return. He logged just 5:11 of ice time before heading to the locker room, and the team has yet to provide details on the severity or exact moment of the injury. What we do know: this is a tough pill to swallow for a Panthers squad that’s already skating on thin ice when it comes to health down the middle.
Bennett, 29, has been a crucial piece of Florida’s attack this season. With 19 goals and 23 assists through 54 games, he ranks third on the team in both goals and total points. He’s been a steady presence in the top six, bringing a gritty, two-way game that’s hard to replace - especially when the injury bug has already bitten so deep.
The Panthers’ center depth chart is currently looking more like a triage list. Captain Aleksander Barkov hasn’t played a game this season but is aiming for a late return.
Anton Lundell, typically the third-line center, is also out after suffering an upper-body injury on January 27. And Tomas Nosek - who was expected to anchor the fourth line - has yet to suit up this season due to a knee injury sustained in the offseason.
So where does that leave Florida? In a precarious spot, to say the least.
With 59 points, they’re locked in a three-way tie for sixth in the Atlantic Division and trail the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference by eight points. That’s not an impossible gap to close, but it’s the kind of situation where every healthy body matters - especially one like Bennett’s, who contributes in all three zones and brings playoff-tested experience.
For the defending Stanley Cup champs, the margin for error is razor-thin. A late-season push isn’t out of the question, but it’s going to require a near-perfect run - and that’s a tall order without some of their most important players in the lineup.
Bennett’s injury could also have ripple effects beyond the NHL. The Holland Landing, Ontario native wasn’t initially selected to Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, but he was widely viewed as a strong candidate to step in if an injury opened up a roster spot - particularly if Tampa Bay’s Anthony Cirelli is unable to go. Now, that door may have closed, at least for the time being.
Injuries are part of the game, but the timing and toll of this one could be especially costly for a Panthers team trying to keep its playoff hopes alive.