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With Sam Bennett Out, Florida Panthers Turn to Jesper Boqvist

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Jesper Boqvist celebrates a goal with Jonah Gadjovich on Opening Night against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 8 in Sunrise. (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers were without one of their top players Tuesday night when Sam Bennett was unable to go against the New Jersey Devils.

Coach Paul Maurice, not wanting to disrupt too much, simply moved Jesper Boqvist into Bennett’s spot centering the second line.

“He is what we hoped he would be. We were very high on him going back to the playoffs two years ago,” Maurice said of the former Boston Bruin, who happened to be on the fourth line in the 2023 first round with Tomas Nosek and A.J. Greer.

“He is the player now that we can move around. He can play center, he can play wing effectively, and he can play both sides. We know he has the skillset that he can play up the lineup and that is very valuable to us. … When Sam tightened up in the morning, you have to have a plan for that. We didn’t want to move a lot of things around. At the 30-minute mark, it’s a tie game and the shots are 20-7. I feel he was pretty effective.’’

In just 16 games with the Panthers this season, Boqvist has proven to be nothing if not versatile.

When everyone is healthy, Boqvist is likely to end up on the right side of either the third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen — where he was before moving into Bennett’s spot — or on the fourth line with Nosek and Greer.

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Yet with Nosek and Sasha Barkov both out of the lineup earlier this season, Boqvist centered Florida’s third line.

He has, in the first five weeks of this season, played all over the Florida lineup.

“It has been a lot of fun being here, great group of guys, and I feel like my game is getting better and better,” Boqvist said. “The system is becoming more muscle memory now. … I think I came in pretty confident knowing I have more to my game. I think I have shown that in previous years. Hopefully I can do more of that here.”

Boqvist came to the Panthers on July 1, signing a one-year deal after splitting time with the Bruins and their AHL team in Providence last year.

A week later, his younger brother Adam Boqvist signed with Florida as a free agent after being bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Adam Boqvist has been a victim of numbers and Florida’s relative health.

Once Uvis Balinskis went back to being a full-time defenseman, Adam has been a healthy scratch in the past six games and is Florida’s No. 7 on the blueline.

“It’s a real challenge for him,” Maurice said, “but a great opportunity as another guy, a more extreme example, of playing different styles of game. He’s not a big lad, so he has to figure out ways to play our game at his size. And we went on a run, got on a seven-game heater and there’s really not a place to make a change. Other guys have jumped ahead of him. If someone struggles, or there is an injury, he’s going to get in. He just needs to be ready when that happens.”

Jesper Boqvist could be back on the third line tonight in the rematch against the Devils depending on how Bennett feels.

The Panthers did not have an on-ice practice Wednesday, but Maurice said Bennett was feeling better after having his undisclosed ‘upper body’ injury tighten up on him Tuesday.

Bennett did not participate in the morning skate Tuesday after practicing Monday.

“It feels better,” Maurice said. “We will get him on the ice [Thursday] and get a good handle on it.”

ON DECK: GAME 17
NEW JERSEY DEVILS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

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