Panthers HC Paul Maurice provides update on Sam Bennett's season-jeopardizing injury

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice gave an update on forward Sam Bennett’s injury on Tuesday. Bennett will miss the rest of the regular season due to an upper-body injury. Maurice said the team wants to give him time to recover fully.

"I just don't think he's going back in," Maurice said, via NHL.com. "We're going to take the time for the rest of the season."

Sam Bennett did not play in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He was on the ice for the morning skate on Tuesday, but will not return yet. Maurice said he has no concern about Bennett’s availability for the playoffs and he will likely be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Bennett has 25 goals and 50 points in 74 games this season. Anton Lundell will move into a top-six role while Bennett recovers. Bennett’s injury happened during their recent road trip and worsened over time.

The Panthers have five games left in the regular season. They begin the stretch at home on Tuesday. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Gustav Forsling are expected to return for that game.

Maurice also said Nico Sturm and Dmitry Kulikov should return later this week. The Panthers are third in the Atlantic Division with a 44-29-4 record and 92 points. They have already clinched a playoff spot.

The Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup champions. Most of their key players from last season are still with the team. They also added veteran forward Brad Marchand before the trade deadline. So, now the team is focused on getting healthy before the playoffs when Sam Bennett joins the lineup.

Apart from Sam Bennett's absence, Paul Maurice also gave reasons for Panthers' five straight losses.

The Florida Panthers are currently on a five-game losing streak. Despite this, its earlier-season performance helped secure a playoff position. The team has four home games before finishing the season in Tampa Bay.

"We (have played) nine games in 15 days this month, with three sets of back-to-backs,'' Maurice said, via NHL.com. "And that's coming off 10 of 14 on the road. I have Sam Reinhart playing 86 games (including the 4 Nations Face-Off) and he has played more games than anyone in the NHL over the past two seasons."

The Florida Panthers will play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT. The game is at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. Florida leads the season series 2-1 and both teams have clinched playoff spots. Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov and Nico Sturm remain injured and Aaron Ekblad is suspended. So, Sam Bennett's absence will affect the team even more.