The Florida Panthers are spiraling out of control at the worst possible time in the 2024-25 NHL season. The injury bug has hit the locker room hard, leaving a depleted roster that’s looked far from its best during recent outings. Mired in a five-game losing skid, Brad Marchand and the rest of the team received a major update from head coach Paul Maurice regarding stars Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett.
While many are left wondering what’s going on with the Panthers amid their five-game slide — all of which have come in concerning fashion — a quick glance at their lineup tells a big part of the story. In their recent 2-1 loss to the Red Wings, Florida iced a roster that looked nothing like the team that hoisted the Stanley Cup during the past NHL season.
With five games left in their season, and their ticket punched to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Panthers are mainly concerned about getting their lineup fully healthy again, not so much about where they rank in the standings.
On that note, head coach Paul Maurice issued a firm statement regarding the injuries to Barkov and Bennett — delivering bittersweet news to Marchand and the rest of the Cats.
Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers carries the Stanley Cup Trophy onto the ice prior to the game against the Boston Bruins at the Amerant Bank Arena on October 8, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.
According to reports from Panthers beat reporter David Dwork, Bennett hasn’t fully recovered from his upper-body injury and is likely out for the remainder of the regular season. However, he should be good to go in Game 1 of the first round.
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Barkov, on the other hand, will make his return to the lineup on April 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.
Must win
After the horrible four-game road trip in which Marchand and the Panthers registered a rough 0-3-1 record, the Cats return to Amerant Bank Arena where they’ll take on the Maple Leafs. If Florida hopes to reclaim the division, they cannot allow Toronto to walk away with points from their visit to Sunrise.
However, the Panthers aren’t too concerned about winning the Atlantic or about any particular seeding.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers warms up prior to a game against the Montreal Canadiens at Amerant Bank Arena on March 30, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
“I wouldn’t say it matters where we end up,” Panthers rookie Mackie Samoskevich admitted. “You’ve got to beat everybody if you’re going to win it all. I think it’s just not opening up our game, staying tight and working on our forecheck. That’s what works in the playoffs. I think we’re doing that right now.”
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While Samoskevich’s statement holds some truth, the Panthers must snap their losing skid before it becomes a weight on their confidence heading into the most important stretch of the NHL season.
