Bennett was hurt in Florida's second-to-last preseason game on Oct. 5
Bennett was hurt in Florida's second-to-last preseason game on Oct. 5
There was a welcomed addition to the Florida Panthers group when the team convened for practice on Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena.
Taking the ice with his teammates for the first time since training camp was center Sam Bennett.
The 27-year-old hasn't played in a game so far this season.
He suffered a lower-body injury during the Panthers penultimate preseason game back on Oct. 5 in Tampa.
Finnish forward Eetu Luostarinen slid from wing back to his natural center spot and has been filling in for Bennett on the second line.
It wasn't until late last week that Bennett was given full clearance to skate, but now he's on track to make his regular season debut in the not too distant future.
Last week, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice said he would want Bennett to get in two good, full practices before dressing him for a game.
Barring any setbacks, that would line Bennett up for another practice on Friday and then Florida's home game on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken.
This will be something to monitor as the week progresses, but the Panthers could be on the brink of getting a major addition to their forward ranks.
As we've seen during his time in Florida, Bennett and his gritty but skilled nature fits in perfectly with the Panthers, and both he and the team have flourished when he's in the lineup.
That was particularly true late last season and during Florida's playoff run, when Bennett was centering a line with Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk.
It will be nice to see that trio back together again, which is the expectation for when Bennett returns.
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