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Dineen Calls Out Bergenheim

October 19, 2013, 3:00 PM ET [9 Comments]
Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
While head coach Kevin Dineen has done his best to be diplomatic about the injury situation regarding Sean Bergenheim, his patience is wearing thin with the valuable winger.

He looked to be very close to returning to the lineup about a week ago, but he is about to return from Ontario as he continues to try to get into "shape" to return.

But Dineen sent shock waves through the organization hinting that he was worried about Bergenheim's career.

"I'm worried about the guy first as his coach and I worry about him as a player,'' Dineen said. "It's been an extremely long time off. I understand this is a tough game we play. He needs to be physically involved, be active. I'm worried he's going to come back and he can't feel his way back into the NHL.

"I have guys here with bumps and bruises and are playing hurt every night. You're not going to feel 100 percent. He needs to get the medical situation straightened out. Once he does, he can be a valuable member of our team.''

Bergenheim suffered a groin/hip injury last December during the lockout. The Panthers claimed he injured himself playing in Finland, but Bergenheim's doctors said it was a pre-existing condition from the 2011-2012 season.

Bergenheim won the medical grievance and was awarded his entire $2.75 million salary last season.

Multiple surgeries and almost a year later has left Bergenheim still on the mend. While he has been practicing fully for the last few weeks the process has been extremely slow, causing concerns that his issues are as much mental as they are physical.

There is no question that Bergenheim is a very valuable piece of this team when playing his game. He thrives on the dirty goals this team needs and he has the knack for being a clutch player. He was signed to a 4-year deal by GM Dale Tallon after scoring 9 goals in the 2011 playoffs for the Lightning. The clutch playoff trend continued when he scored 3 goals and 3 assists during the Panthers' 7-game playoff series against the Devils two years ago.

But the questions swirling around Bergenheim continue.

I spoke with Bergenheim off the record for about 20 minutes back in September, and all indications were he was very excited to get back to helping the team soon. There were no signs of questioning his ability or health. He felt good and said he was very close to being ready.

Perhaps even he is surprised with how slow his body has responded during the recovery process, and surely there have been many good and bad days physically during this saga.

For the Panthers sake, a healthy Bergenheim would be a big lift for this team offensively. But until then Dineen needs to approach the situation as if Bergenheim will continue to be a mystery.

"He's been gone so long I haven't given it much thought,'' Dineen said. "We had a snapshot in training camp that he was getting close. Now it's a prolonged thing. He's totally off the radar right now until he becomes what I consider a viable option.''

Dan Spiegel
Florida Panthers Media
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