The Florida Panthers have had an impressive start to the season with a record of 9-3-1 over their first 13 games, giving them the second best record in the NHL. Despite Captain Aleksander Barkov missing eight of the first 13 games of the season, a few key players, including the likes of Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Anton Lundell, stepped up to help maintain Florida’s success.
Sam Reinhart:
As someone who signed a massive eight-year contract extension this past offseason, Sam Reinhart needed to show his previous season wasn’t a fluke. Reinhart has been off to an unbelievable start to the season. So far in 13 games, Reinhart has 10 goals and 11 assists, which ties him for first in points and first in goals. Some people may have wondered how Reinhart would be defensively during Barkov’s eight-game absence. During his absence, Reinhart led the league in shorthand goals with two, becoming one of the key reasons the Panthers have a top five penalty kill.
Anton Lundell:
Lundell, a former 12th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, has taken steps to improve during his four NHL seasons. During this past Stanley Cup playoff run, you could notice a significant step was taken in his play. As a result of his incredible post-season play, Lundell signed a six-year extension at an average annual value (AAV) of five million dollars. In 12 games this year, Lundell already looks like he is worth the deal, putting up six goals and seven assists. During Barkov’s eight-game absence, Lundell had to play an elevated role in the top six. This increased his ice time significantly, letting him play over 19 minutes a night. Lundell is another reason why the Panthers penalty kill has been so successful at shutting down their opponent’s powerplay.
Sam Bennett:
When entering the final year of a contract, some players wilt under the pressure of playing for their next deal, while others rise to the occasion and take their game to the next level. Sam Bennett is the latter of the two. While NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported two weeks ago that Bennett and the Panthers had started talking about a contract extension, some might have assumed that this would have gotten to Bennett’s head. Well, it hasn’t. In 12 games, Bennett has scored eight goals with five assists. Although he has been on the second powerplay for most of the season, he has still scored three goals on the man advantage.
Other Notes:
- Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his 402nd win during the Global Series in Finland. This win put him past goaltender Chris Osgood and moved Bobrovsky up to number 13 on the list for most career wins for a goaltender. Bobrovsky could look to tie Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr at number 12 on the list with a potential start this Thursday, November 7th, against the Nashville Predators.
- The Panthers were able to sign one of their highest rated prospects to his entry-level contract (ELC). Gracie Sawchyn signed a 3 year deal at a cap hit of $878,333. Sawchyn was taken at pick 63 of the second round in 2023 from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey Leauge (WHL). This season, Sawchyn has 12 points in 12 games and is on pace for a point a game. He is coming off of a season in which he set career highs in goals at 19 and assists at 45. If he keeps his play at this level, he could potentially be competing for a roster spot next training camp.