The game billed as Wild Vs Panthers will begin with the Florida Panthers, including Sam Bennett, taking the ice Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena, the puck dropping at 7: 00 PM ET. The matchup brings projected lineups, returning players and a string of injury and suspension notes that shape how both teams will manage the night.
Wild Vs Panthers: Projected lineups
Projected forward groupings and scratches from the matchup show how coaches are setting their benches. For the Minnesota side: Kirill Kaprizov — Ryan Hartman — Mats Zuccarello; Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy; Vladimir Tarasenko — Michael McCarron — Bobby Brink; Marcus Foligno — Nick Foligno — Yakov Trenin. Scratched: Danila Yurov, Daemon Hunt, Zach Bogosian, Hunter Haight, Robby Fabbri, Nico Sturm.
On the Florida side, projected forward units read: Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk; Eetu Luostarinen — Evan Rodrigues — Jesper Boqvist; Nolan Foote — Luke Kunin — Noah Gregor; Cole Reinhardt — Tomas Nosek — Vinnie Hinostroza. Injured: Sam Reinhart (foot), Mackie Samoskevich (neck laceration), Niko Mikkola (knee), Anton Lundell (ribs), Uvis Balinskis (fractured foot), Brad Marchand (lower body), Cole Schwindt (lower body), Aleksander Barkov (knee), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body).
Additional roster context: Marcus Foligno will return after being out since Feb. 27 because of a lower-body injury. John Hynes, coach, Minnesota Wild, said Marcus Foligno will play on a line with his brother, Nick Foligno, for the first time since Nick was acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 6. One disciplinary note: Greer, a forward, will serve the second of a three-game suspension for boarding Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary during a prior loss.
Sam Bennett March 26 Preview vs. the Wild
Sam Bennett, forward, Florida Panthers, arrives to the matchup with a clear offensive footprint: 25 goals, 28 assists and 53 points for the Panthers. Bennett has taken 179 shots (2. 6 per game), leading the Panthers’ forwards in shot volume. That production places Bennett as a central piece of the Panthers’ top line with Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk for the evening.
The puck dropping at 7: 00 PM ET frames a night where Bennett’s chances and the Panthers’ ability to deploy him against Minnesota’s projected trios will be decisive. Bennett’s shot volume and point totals are the measurable side of his impact; how the Wild line matchups respond to his presence will determine whether those numbers translate into momentum in this matchup.
Roster responses, injuries and short-term outlook
Florida’s list of injured players shapes its available depth for the quick homestand finale. Mackie Samoskevich will miss a third straight game and could return at the New York Islanders on Saturday. Anton Lundell is likely to be out for the rest of the regular season. Cole Schwindt, who has been out since Feb. 26, skated and could return as early as next week. Those recovery timelines will inform coaching decisions about minutes and matchups for the remainder of the homestand.
On the Minnesota side, the reintroduction of Marcus Foligno beside Nick Foligno introduces a personal and tactical subplot. John Hynes, coach, Minnesota Wild, framed the move as putting the returning player back into the lineup alongside his newly acquired brother. For a team navigating scratches and disciplinary absences, that pairing adds an element of familiarity and a direct line to restart a win sequence.
The scene that opened the night—Panthers, including Sam Bennett, taking the ice at Amerant Bank Arena with the puck set to drop at 7: 00 PM ET—now carries fresh meaning. Bennett’s scoring form, a reunited Foligno duo and a cascade of roster decisions shaped by injury and suspension will determine whether the projected lineups hold steady through the game or shift as coaches respond to play. The projected lists and available players give a clear sense of strategy; how it plays out when the puck drops will be the answer fans and teams wait to see.
