Sam Bennett can't wait for Matthew Tkachuk's return, it's not the reason you expect

The fun part is it is not even about line combos yet. It is about the plane, the routine, and the little stuff that keeps a long season from feeling like a grind.

Bennett basically said the quiet part out loud today, he misses having Tkachuk on the road, and he misses taking his money at the poker table. That is the kind of quote you only get when a room has real chemistry.

This is also happening because the Panthers are in a spot where every point matters. After Sunday's 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Florida sits 22-16-3, and that race in the Atlantic is tight every week.

I cannot lie, Panthers fans have missed the edge Tkachuk brings when games get mean around the crease. That whole vibe has been sitting on the shelf.

On the hockey side, the team is still careful with wording. Tkachuk is traveling Monday, but both the Panthers and Tkachuk have kept the «when he plays» part vague, even if he says he feels good and is close.

The big picture is simple, this is a star winger with a $9.5 million cap hit trying to ramp up the right way after August surgery for a torn adductor and sports hernia. Florida can afford patience, but it cannot afford setbacks.

When he is ready, the payoff is obvious. Tkachuk tied for the Panthers lead last postseason with 23 points in 23 games, and that mix of hands plus chaos is exactly what Florida has lacked at times this year.

Bennett, now 29 and locked in at an $8 million cap hit, is the perfect running mate for that style, hard on pucks, fast to the net, and annoyingly honest about wanting the poker cash too. Tuesday in Toronto is the next real checkpoint, and everyone knows it.