Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett skates in his first practice of the 2023-24 regular season after suffering an injury during a preseason game. The Florida Panthers received a big boost on Thursday when center Sam Bennett resumed practicing with the team. It was the first time Bennett participated in a full practice since the preseason. During training camp, Bennett appeared to be firing on all cylinders and looked poised to pick up where he left off during last season’s playoffs. The 27-year-old is integral to the success of Florida’s forward ranks, with center depth being the catalyst that allows the Panthers wide-ranging talent up front to reach its full potential. “It feels great,” Bennett said after Thursday’s practice. “Obviously when you're out for a while, you're just skating with the injury guys, you really get to miss being out there with the guys, practicing with the guys, so it felt it felt great to be around them again.” Last week, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice teased Bennett’s return, saying he had begun skating and that barring any setbacks, he wouldn’t be far off. Maurice also said he would want to see Bennett skate in at least two full Panthers practices before considering him for a game. If there are no setbacks, that would seemingly line Bennett up to play in Florida’s home game on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken. “He's back on the ice,” Maurice said Thursday. “We'll see how he comes in tomorrow, and we’ll put him through it again. We'll make a decision in a couple of days where he’s at.” Florida was missing captain Sasha Barkov during Bennett’s first practice back with the team as he fights through an illness that’s hit the Panthers locker room. Maurice said Barkov was feeling better Thursday after sitting out Florida’s 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday and that he could be back on the ice for Friday’s practice. With Barkov and Bennett both in the lineup, the trickle down impact on the forward units become quite apparent. “They change practice, right?” Maurice said of his centermen. “They just come in and the lines start to look different. You put Barkov in there, that'll make them look different again. It's good to have them back.” Bennett’s media availability on Thursday was the first time we’ve heard from him since training camp. Here is everything else he had to say: On his first practice: “I feel like it’s back at the beginning of the season again. I’ve been skating hard with the injury guys and now just trying to ramp it up to get ready to go.” On staying sharp while injured: “I think really all you can do is just try and keep your cardio, keep feeling the puck, and get your touches on the ice, but you're not going to get the game-like situations. That's really just going to come by getting into the game, but yeah, focusing on cardio and really making sure that you're sharp with your touches is the main thing right now.” On watching team from afar: “I think we're in a good spot. Obviously, we've had some injury troubles and a bunch of new guys learning the system, but our team is right there, and we've looked good in a lot of these games, so I'm just excited to get back and hopefully help this team have some more success.” On not letting injuries be an excuse: “I think everyone in this locker room understands that it’s part of the game. Guys are going to go down, you're going to have adversity, and you need guys to step up. I think everyone in this locker room is ready to step up at times, and we've found that we can do that.” On working with Patric Hornqvist while recovering: “He's one of the most intense hockey players I've ever played with, so he brings that intensity when he's coaching as well. It's nice having someone that that you played with and you're comfortable with, you can talk to him and tell him what kind of drills you need. He understands that. He's not afraid to work as hard and that’s definitely what we need, so it's great.” On his injury recovery: “Everything's going according to the plan. We’re just starting to ramp it up and I'm definitely feeling good and feeling feel a lot better, so hopefully I can get back in there soon.” On watching games as opposed to playing: “You get a little different perspective. I think you get a better perspective when you're out there with the guys, you get a better feel for the intensity on the bench and being in the locker room, you're just more part of it.” LATEST THN FLORIDA STORIES Paul Maurice skated the Panthers extremely hard during Thursday's practice. Here's why. 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