There was little time for the Panthers to bask in the excitement of Sunday’s 6-1 Game 7 win in Toronto.  

 

Less than 48 hours after knocking out the Maple Leafs in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Florida will take the ice in the Eastern Conference Final for a third-consecutive season. And for the second time over that span, their opponent will be the Carolina Hurricanes. 

 

“I think it’s kind of nice when you get only one day off in between (Game 7 and the start of a new series),” Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. “You’re kind of still in that do-or-die mindset and I think that’s kind of what the playoffs are all about. It keeps you in it.”

 

Florida swept Carolina in a highly-entertaining yet draining Conference Finals matchup. Matthew Tkachuk took the spotlight in the series two years ago; the Panthers’ star forward had the winning goal in quadruple overtime of Game 1, which was the sixth longest game in NHL history (139:47 game duration). Tkachuk scored the OT winner again in Game 2, this time doing it less than two minutes into the first extra period. He played hero once more after scoring the series winning goal in Game 4 with four seconds to go in regulation, leading the Panthers to its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1996. 

 

Carolina comes into the Conference Finals a tad bit fresher than their opponents after winning each of the past two series in five games, defeating the New Jersey Devils in round one and the Eastern Conference — regular season — winning Washington Capitals in round two — with clincher being of May 15, five days before the ECF. Florida also won their first round series in five games against the Tampa Bay Lightning before going all the way to Game 7 against Toronto, just two nights before Game 1 vs the Hurricanes. 

 

Despite the quick turnaround and less rest days compared to their opponent, the Panthers are more than content to keep the gears going into the next round. 

 

“I would schedule it exactly as it is now given the choice,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “We’ve been through a Game 7 before. Last thing that we would want to do is play Game 7 in Toronto and play [again] in two days. You can’t fly home, get on a plane and fly back. Now the emotion and everything comes right out of it. We want to keep going.”

He added: “We played nine games in 15 days at the end of the season. We just played three games in a row and had two days off at the start of it. This is the lightest schedule we’ve had this year. Like, we’re fine.”

 

History will look back on the series two years ago and see the Hurricanes didn’t win a single  game. But that matchup was closer than the final results show. Each game was settled by one goal, with three of those coming down to the final shot of the night.  

 

“I don’t think really anybody enjoys playing Carolina,” Tkachuk said on Monday during ECF media day. “They are a tough team to play against and they make it hard on you every game.

 

“But yeah, there were good memories here in this building a couple years ago and [in] that whole series for us, but it’s all back to zeros now. It’s a new year. New series.”

 

The Panthers are looking to win the Prince of Wales Trophy and reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third year in a row, while the Hurricanes are trying to take the next step after losing in the ECF twice in the previous six seasons. 

 

“They play a hard-nosed in your face kind of game,” Panthers forwards Evan Rodrigues said of the Hurricanes. “It’s not going to be pretty. It’s not going to be cute.”

 

Offensive contributions have come across the board for the Hurricanes this playoff run. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis are tied for the scoring lead with 10 points a piece, while Andrei Svechnikov is right under them with nine points — eight of those being goals (second most in 2025 playoffs). 

 

“They play a simple game, there’s no secret plays, no things like that,” Panthers defenseman Seth Jones said of Carolina. “They’re a very straight forward hockey team… they’re in your face. Their penalty kill is great — in your face. There’s not a lot of space out there, it’s kind of a similar style to [what] we play. I think you’re going to see two similar styles going at it.”

 

Arguably the most impressive piece of Carolina’s puzzle this postseason has been its stellar goaltending. Frederik Andersen far and away has the best stats among any goalie in the playoffs, posting a 1.36 GAA and .937 save percentage in nine starts. 

 

Similar to the squad in Raleigh, the defending champions have seen a well balanced team effort thus far in the playoffs. 17 different players scored at least one goal through the first two rounds for the Panthers. Sam Bennett leads the team with 6 goals, while Eetu Luostarinen and in-season trade acquisition Brad Marchand tied with a team-leading 12 points. 

 

As the higher-seed, Carolina will host the first two games of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final. Puck drop for Game 1 is set for Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC.

The Battle of Florida. One of, if not the most exciting, new-age playoff rivalries in hockey.

 

For the fourth time in the past five years, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet in the postseason, and for the second straight season, it will be in the first round. 

 

The winner of the previous three Lightning-Panthers playoff series went on to have successful, long summers, with the victor advancing to the Stanley Cup Final each time (TB: 2021, 2022; FLA: 2024).

 

Game 1 is set to take place at 8:30 p.m. EST from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.

 

Here’s a few things to watch for in this highly anticipated first round matchup.

Ekblad to Miss Start of Series

Aaron Ekblad will have to sit out the first two games of the series as he serves the remainder of a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program.

 

Ekblad is eligible to return to action for Game 3, which is Florida’s playoff home opener. When he does draw into the lineup, he will reunite on the Panthers’ top defense pair with Gustav Forsling.

 

“That’ll be the toughest two games, of course,” Ekblad said earlier this month. “I’m just going to try and keep myself in as best shape as I can so that once Game 3 rolls around, it’s easy for me to come back in. 

 

“And it’s not the first time that I’ve stepped into the playoffs cold, after injuries even, so I’m confident that I’ll be fine coming into it, but those two games would be very tough to watch, for sure.”

 

The Panthers were able to get by down the stretch despite missing arguably their second best defenseman for a quarter of the season.

 

With Ekblad out, Florida was able to get a few different looks on how its defense pairings could line up when they can ice a full strengthened blueline.

 

Seth Jones and Niko Mikkola are expected to round out the top-four, while Dmitry Kulikov and Nate Schmidt should be in the five-six hole. 

New Faces in the Sunshine State 

While a bulk of the current Lightning and Panthers players have seen one another before in the postseason, both teams will have some new names hit the ice for their first — playoff edition — Battle of Florida. 

 

On the west coast side of the state, forward Jake Guentzel is by far the most notable newcomer to the rivalry.

 

A free agent signing last summer, Guentzel has already proved to be a successful acquisition for Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, scoring 41 goals (second most on team) and 80 points (41-39-80) in as many games.  

 

J.J. Moser is another Lightning skater who will get his first taste of playoff hockey with the Bolts. The 24-year-old Swiss defenseman joined Tampa in the offseason in the deal that sent two-time Stanley Cup champion Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Hockey Club.

 

The Lightning also brought back a few familiar faces from their Cup teams; Ryan McDonagh and Yanni Gourde weren’t with the team that lost last season to the Panthers, but they are more than well vetted in the Sunshine State rivalry. 

 

Shifting over to the team in Sunrise, the Panthers have their own set of players ready to get their share of Cats playoff hockey. 

 

After being acquired via trade on March 3 from the Chicago Blackhawks, five-time All-Star defenseman Seth Jones had to assume more of a role than was initially expected from him after the Panthers saw their blue line weakened with injuries and the sudden Ekblad suspension. Jones will need to eat a ton of minutes — including both power play and penalty kill time — in the first round, with Ekblad missing the first two games of the series. 

 

Former Boston Bruins captain and Stanley Cup champion Brad Marchand is another new Panther to watch in this series. An agitating player to match up against thanks to his physical and aggressive — yet highly skilled — playstyle, Marchand is the perfect player to throw into the Battle of Florida.

 

Rookie standout Mackie Samoskevich is another notable player that wasn’t there when the Panthers slayed the dragon to finally defeat the Lightning last season. Samoskevich, 22, scored 15 goals and 31 points (15-16-31) in 72 games this season. In his first year with Florida, he’s already cemented himself as a top-nine forward and power play option.

Return of Tkachuk?

Last time Matthew Tkachuk played in a game was Feb. 20 in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, where he didn’t see much ice-time after sustaining a lower-body injury in the tournament.

 

The injury kept the Panthers’ star forward sidelined for the last 25 games of the regular season.

 

Tkachuk only rejoined the team’s practice sessions last week, but he’s been wearing a normal contact jersey and is appearing on his usual lines.

 

As of Tuesday morning — prior to the team’s morning skate — Panthers head coach Paul Maurice hasn’t said if Tkachuk will play in Game 1 — but the signs are pointing to him being close to ready.

 

“He’s got to get through the morning skate tomorrow,” Maurice said after Monday’s practice. “If he gets through that morning skate, everyone gives a thumbs up, then he’ll go.”

 

If Tkachuk is a go for the series opener, he’ll slot right back in on the second line next to Sam Bennett and Mackie Samoskevich.

 

In 52 games this season, Tkachuk was scoring at a point-per-game rate with 22 goals and 57 points (22-35-57), finishing third on the team in scoring despite missing 30 games.

 

Not So Under the Radar Players to Watch

Everybody knows the firepower both teams have up and down the lineup.

 

Kucherov, Point, Hedman, Vasilevsky… Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bobrovsky. Keeping it simple, these are two of the most stacked rosters in the league; we’ll be here awhile if we dive deep into every star.

 

Instead, here’s two gamechangers — one for each team — that have proven themselves as legit top-line players in the NHL, but may fall down the pecking order due to their respective team’s rosters.

 

Tampa Bay — Brandon Hagel

Lightning forward Brandon Hagel may be one of the most underrated players in the league.

 

Since joining the Lightning for the 2021-22 season, 26-year-old Hagel has two 30-plus goal seasons, with this year being a career-best 35 goals and 90 points (35-55-90) in 82 games. 

 

It’s hard to not like his game; he’s the perfect combination of skill and grit. 

 

In the past two postseasons, Hagel posted back-to-back five point first round series, scoring 3 goals (3-2-5) in five games against the Panthers last year.

 

A member of Team Canada’s gold medal winning 4 Nations squad earlier this year, Hagel looks to add some more hardware to his trophy cabinet.

 

Florida — Sam Bennett

Speaking of gritty, skilled forwards who may get lost in the shuffle on a stacked roster… Panthers forward Sam Bennett sounds alot like Brandon Hagel.

 

Bennett, 28, finished the season with 25 goals and a career-high 51 points (25-26-51) in 76 games this season. The Panthers’ second-line center is of utter importance to the team, especially when it’s playoff time.

 

When the light’s get bright Bennett hits another gear, or two. 

 

Looking at the Panthers’ last two postseasons — where they made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances — Bennett had 29 points (12-17-29) in 39 total games. Adding to the clutch gene, he scored one of the biggest goals of his career two months ago when he buried the tying goal in the 4 Nations gold medal game for Canada.

 

Both Hagel and Bennett — Canadian teammates turned rivals once again — can take over a game when they get hot. Their importance in this series should not be understated.

 

King of the Net

You’ll often see a goaltender get hot out of nowhere and steal you a game. But in the playoffs, the question isn’t who wins you a game, it’s who can win you a series?

 

Future Hall of Famers Andrei Vasilevsky and Sergei Bobrovsky have won their respective teams more than a few series.

 

Bobrovsky had everything a goalie could ask for. Two Vezina trophies, Olympic and World Championship pedigree and plenty of wins (currently 10th all-time in career NHL wins, 429). 

 

The one thing that was missing in Bobrovsky’s phenomenal career was the big one, the Stanley Cup. And now he has it.

 

In the other crease, Vasilevsky has a resume that most players can only dream of. 

 

A Vezina, multiple international medals, a Conn Smythe and of course two Stanley Cups.

 

If you ask an NHL player which goalie they’d trust to win a playoff series, most would probably say Vasilevsky — which would hold true to the 2024-25 NHLPA Player Poll, where Vasilevsky was voted “Best Overall Goalie” by his peers (Bobrovsky finished fourth).

 

It’s hard to say which team “lines up” better than the other in this matchup, there’s elite players everywhere. 

 

This series could very well come down to which goalie propels his team to the finish line.

After splitting the first half of a four-game west coa​​st road trip with a win 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings the following night, the Florida Panthers sit three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Atlantic Division.

 

The team will remain in California for a few more days as they’ll face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday before making a quick turnaround to face the Vegas Golden Knights less than 24 hours later in Las Vegas.

 

While the Panthers are on the other side of the country, here’s what you may have missed while the team is on the road. 

 

Matthew Tkachuk models for Perry Ellis

Less than a month from now NHL players will be trading in their club uniforms for their country’s as the 4 Nations Face-Off is set​​ to drop the puck on Feb. 12 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

 

The Panthers have a league-leading eight players who will represent their respective nations at the tournament next month. 

 

On Thursday, the spotlight belonged to Matthew Tkachuk, as he was announced as Perry Ellis’ off-ice ambassador for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

 

Statement from the official press release:

 

“Florida Panthers and 4 Nations Face-Off USA forward Matthew Tkachuk takes center ice across Perry Ellis channels to promote key products perfect for avid hockey fans ready to level-up their style game. Tkachuk will also serve as Perry Ellis’ Off-Ice Ambassador during the tournament, and beyond the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk will be featured in content for the brand throughout this NHL season, including in a series of photos and videos.”

 

Tkachuk, 27, was also featured in a promotional video for the partnership, which saw the Panthers star dawn both Team USA’s official jersey for the tournament, as well as Perry Ellis attire. 

 

Sam Bennett snaps 20-game goal drought

Starting the year red hot with 13 goals in 24 games, Sam Bennett’s play notched himself a spot on Team Canada’s 4 Nations roster.

In the midst of a contract year, everything appeared to be going right for the Panthers forward, until he hit a wall. 

 

After scoring for a fourth-consecutive game on Dec. 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bennett wouldn’t see his name in the goal column for seven weeks.

 

Bennett had gone 20 straight games without scoring a goal entering Tuesday night’s matchup against the Ducks. 

 

In the third period, with the Panthers leading 3-2, Bennett was finally able to get the burden off his back after he slipped a shot from the slot past Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal for his 14th goal of the season.

 

The reaction from Bennett was one of relief once​ he saw the red light finally flash for him after going nearly two months without a goal.

 

Aaron Ekblad still out with injury 

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has missed seven straight games and eight of the last nine with an upper-body injury.

 

Ekblad, 28, plays top-two minutes on the Panthers blueline, while also featuring on both the penalty kill and power play throughout the season.  

 

The Panthers are 3-4-1 without Ekblad in the lineup and have shown some lapses in their defensive play without the franchises’ longest tenured defenseman in the lineup.

 

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said on Wednesday that they’re hoping Ekblad can join the team for their Friday practice session. He also said earlier in the week that the hope is for Ekblad to return on the current road trip. 

 

23-year-old Tobias Bjornfot — who spent most of the year in the AHL with Charlotte — has filled in on the blue line in Ekblad’s absence, playing in eight games over that span.

There’s something about international sports that gets people excited. 

 

National pride certainly plays a part in it. Whether it’s a few days or a few weeks, sports fans temporarily put aside their normal rivalries; New York and Boston tolerate each other, Montrealers and Torontonians root for the same team — it’s a fun time when the national colors come on. 

 

Unfortunately for hockey fans, they’ve waited too long to see their favorite players on a best-on-best stage, international stage.

 

After Canada won their second-straight Gold Medal at Sochi 2014, the NHL did not send its players to the next two Winter Olympics — opting to skip out on  PyeongChang in 2018, then pulling out of the Beijing games in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Consensus around the league hasn’t changed for years; the players want to represent their countries in best-on-best tournaments. 

 

The 4 Nations Face-Off — which is set to take place in Montreal and Boston from Feb 12-20 — will be the first best-on-best tournament in the senior men’s game since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. 

 

International hockey is coming back and the best players in the world will be suited up for it. 

 

Who will be there? Who can be?

 

All teams must have their full rosters submitted by Dec. 2; the selections will be made public on Dec. 4.

 

Last June, all of the participating countries had to name six players who were guaranteed roster spots for the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

 

The Florida Panthers have three players who were named to a 4 Nations roster last summer and there will certainly be a few more once the official teams are announced.

 

Here’s the Panthers who will be there (barring injury) and those who could see their name called.

 

TEAM USA 

Matthew Tkachuk already knows he’ll be wearing the red, white and blue, the 26-year-old forward was one of the American’s first six players selected back in June. 

 

Tkachuck will almost certainly be the lone Panther skater representing Team USA at the 4 Nations, however he won’t be the only Panther there.

 

Florida’s GM Bill Zito will be part of the American’s management staff and Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will be there as the equipment manager. 

​
Team Finland 

Last season, Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup. The 29-year-old Panthers’ leader is arguably the best Finnish player in the league right now; he was obviously one of the first six Finns selected for the 4 Nations tournament.

Barkov has represented his country a few times already at a best-on-best stage. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and also played at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. 

 

As the only active Finnish captain in the NHL, Barkov very well could be wearing the “C” this February for Finland.

 

We already know Barkov has his spot secured for the 4 Nations, but it’s likely he’ll be joined by a few more Panther Finns in February.

 

Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola are the other three Finnish players on the Panthers roster. Looking at numerous roster predictions, the consensus around the media world is that all three of them are projected to make the team.

 

Lundell and Luostarinen have solidified themselves as legit top-9 NHLers over the past few seasons, with the duo playing an immense role in the Panthers winning the 2024 Stanley Cup. 

 

“That’s my goal, that would be a huge honor to play for Team Finland,” Lundell told me in early November. “You don’t think about it but it’s a big goal for me as well. I’m just trying to play as good as I can to show the coach there that I want to be on the team. Hopefully I’ll make it, but right now I stay in the moment and try to play as good as I can.”

 

Last season, Mikkola established himself as a mainstay on the Panthers blueline, eating plenty of minutes at 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. There’s only 10 active Finnish defenseman in the NHL this season and Florida’s 6’6 stalwart blueliner should easily find himself in that lineup.

 

If my prediction of Luostarinen, Lundell and Mikkola making the team comes to fruition, the Panthers will have four players on Team Finland at the 4 Nations. 

 

Team Sweden

People in South Florida have heavily rated defenseman Gustav Forsling for years at this point, but his national coming out party came during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

 

After winning the Cup as Florida’s No. 1 defenseman, the 28-year-old put the hockey world on notice — including those picking the Swedish national team.

 

Forsling was named as one of Sweden’s first six players selected for the 4 Nations, making him one of three Panthers skaters (Tkachuk, USA, Barkov, Finland) to have their spot secured for the tournament ne​​xt year.

 

This won’t be the first time Forsling represents Sweden, as he played in two World uniors — captaining the Swedish team in 2016 — also make an appearance at the 2015-16 Euro Hockey Tour. However, he’s never played for his country at a major, senior men’s tournament. 

 

The 4 Nations Face-Off is not a IIHF sanctioned event, but it is reserved strictly for players who have a 2024-25 NHL contract and are on an NHL roster, so it’s undoubtedly best-on best. A big reason for this tournament is to prepare for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics — where the NHL will be sending its players, 

“That’s the ultimate goal I feel like, the Olympics would be a very cool experience if I would make the team there too,” Forsling said in June after making Team Sweden. “That’s kind of what we’re playing for, to get to the Olympics.”

 

Team Canada

Canada is the only country that did not have a Panther in its initial six roster selections. That being said, the Stanley Cup champions have a few legit options that could make the Canadian roster.

 

According to TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun, the Canadians made its final roster decisions on Nov 30, with a few “difficult” decisions as the roster came down to the last few players.

 

Nothing is guaranteed, but Sam Reinhart being selected to make Team Canada wouldn’t have been one of those difficult choices. The North Vancouver, BC native had 57 goals last season — second most in the NHL. 

 

Reinhart has been anything but a regressor this season. The 28-year-old leads the NHL with 18 goals in 25 games and is top five in points (34).

 

Him making the Canadian roster is all but in writing, the real question is how many of his Panthers teammates will join him.

 

On the other hand, his teammates — forwards Carter Verheaghe and Sam Bennett — very likely could’ve been involved in those last few cuts. 

 

I had both of them as bubble players to make the Canadian roster. While they undoubtedly deserve to be there — especially considering their respective playoff resumes — Canada has far and away the deepest forward pool to choose from.

Verhaeghe has been Florida’s most consistent goal scorer — regular and postseason — since he arrived in 2020-21. But Canada is already filled to the brim with elite goal scorers, with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, Connor McDavid already on the team.

 

Bennett’s play last postseason, followed by his fantastic start to this campaign very well should have raised eyes amongst the Canadian brass. 12 goals, 23 points in 24 games has Bennett top 15 in league scoring a quarter of a way to the season, yet his value to Team Canada relies within his heavy, 200-foot game — which would be important for tournament play.

If I had to guess which of the two would more likely be on Canada, I lean towards Bennett, mostly because he is one of the most physical skilled players in the league and hasn’t slowed down since the season began.

 

There’s one more Panther who hasn’t been getting a ton of media attention in 4 Nation mocks, but may have an outside shot to make the Canadian roster.

 

It’s Aaron Ekblad. 

 

The Windsor, ON. native is no stranger to international hockey. He played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey and represented Canada at the World Championships in 2015 and 2018.

 

Two years ago, Ekblad was a favorite to make the 2022 Olympic team before the NHL opted out.

 

On a personal level, the part of Ekblad’s game that jumped out to fans was how offensive minded he was, while still being the best defender on the Panthers. 

 

Following a few injuries, the now 28-year-old pivoted his game — for the better of his club — focusing more on being a shutdown defenseman and it paid off for the Panthers as they won the Stanley Cup with Ekblad on their top pair. 

 

“How we appreciate defensemen has changed over the years and it’s skewed to points now,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said earlier this week. “Aaron came in as that player — he was quite a point producer for a while — but he’s been a big part of the change in style of play.”

 

Ekblad has been a top pair defenseman on a team that had back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances. He’s not flashy like some of the other potential blueline candidates, but there’s one thing Ekblad has shown over the past few years — he can play at a high-level when the lights are the brightest. 

 

“He’s a spectacular defender, he and Gus [Forsling] are fantastic players,” Maurice added. “I appreciate that for him because there’s a sacrifice that goes with it. A player is up for a contract, these guys all now get paid on points and there’s a sacrifice for him, to our team, to put the defense first and he’s done that.”

The Panthers will be well represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Whether there’s three players, six, or more, the defending Stanley Cup champions will see their guys ready to go for gold on an international stage.

Best-on-best international hockey is soon to return and one Florida Panther is making his case to be there for it. 

 

Sam Bennett has been an instrumental piece to the Panthers’ success over the past few years — especially come playoff time.

 

After helping the Panthers win the Stanley Cup last season, the 28-year-old forward is off to the best start of his 10-year NHL career, scoring 8 goals and 13 points through 13 games.

 

Bennett’s early regular season hot streak couldn’t come at a better time. He’s in the final year of a four-year contract and is sure to garner a lot of interest if he hits the open market this summer. 

 

But being a top pending UFA isn’t the only reason why eyes could be on Bennett this season.

 

Florida’s high-octane second-line center may be playing himself into a roster spot on Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

 

All four teams: Canada, USA, Finland and Sweden, will need to have their 23-man rosters submitted by Dec. 2 for the international tournament that is set to run from Feb. 12-20 next year. 

 

In their latest roster projections, The Athletic has Bennett making Team Canada — alongside his Panther teammate Sam Reinhart.

 

Before last postseason, Bennett probably wouldn’t have been in too many mock rosters for this tournament — but the success of the Panthers has certainly put more eyes on the defending Cup champions’ players.

 

Bennett had 14 points (7-7-14) in 19 playoff games during Florida’s Cup run last season — with 12 of them coming after injuring his hand in Game 2 of the first-round.

 

Bennett is currently on pace to score 52 goals and 82 points in an 82 game season — which would shatter his career highs. It’s unlikely that Bennett will sustain that offensive production but scoring isn’t his entire game. 

 

While he can produce offensively, Canada’s front office will have a plethora of scoring options to choose from. Bennett’s chance of making the team will largely be due to his physical, 200-foot game

 

For these short, best-on-best tournaments, there’s no time for trial and error. Bennett has the resume of performing well on the biggest stages and the aggressive play style he’s known for only  hits another gear in elimination settings. 

 

The Canadian roster will be filled to the brim with exceptional superstar forwards, like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Brayden Point. Scoring goals won’t be an issue, however they will need a hard hitting, physical line — that’s where Bennett’s services could be used.

 

Bruins forward Brad Marchand is one of the few skilled Canadian forwards that fits the “physical forward” mold that they’ll need for this tournament. The Bruins captain is already on the team and Bennett would be another great option if Canada wants to have a ‘heavy’ line.

 

The 4 Nations Face-Off won’t have any semi-final matchups, they’ll go from round-robin play straight to the final. Each team plays each other once — with the best two making the final in Boston. 

 

Looking at how teams could line up, the Americans will certainly have a heavy roster, with the Tkachuk brothers there to lead the charge in the pesky play department.  It wouldn’t be a bad idea if Canada had Bennett there to counteract someone like his Panther linemate Matthew Tkachuk’s style of play. 

 

Three Panthers were already named to their respective countries’ rosters  — with Aleksander Barkov (Finland), Gustav Forsling (Sweden) and Matthew Tkachuk (USA) all being part of their nation’s first six names called back in June. 

 

Florida will more than likely be represented by every nation at the tournament as  Sam Reinhart is expected to be one of the 20 skaters that Canada takes with them to Montreal and Boston next February.

 

There’s less than a month before rosters are finalized for the 4 Nations. If Bennett keeps up his current play, the Holland Landing, ON. native could see himself dawning the maple leaf come February.