Sam Bennett suffers upper-body injury, named Olympic replacement for Cirelli

Sam Bennett exited Monday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres after the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return, logging only 5:11 of ice time. Updates are pending on his condition. Despite his injury, Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2025 playoff MVP, has been named an Olympic injury replacement for Anthony Cirelli on Team Canada. This injury adds to the Florida Panthers' growing list of sidelined players, leaving them without starting centers.