Sam Bennett is a polarizing hockey player. The Panthers and fans in Florida love him and the rest of the NHL despise him. He’s fast and skilled. He has a Stanley Cup ring and he’ll never, ever be a candidate for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Bennett makes enemies with every locker room except the one he is in — and for many general managers around the NHL eyeing the summer of 2025 as an opportunity to add a physical force to their lineup, he is at the top of their wish list.
That is, if the Panthers don’t sign him to an extension before July 1. Since coming to sunny South Florida at the trade deadline four seasons ago, Bennett’s stock has risen drastically. He went from an underwhelming performer as a top-5 draft pick of the Calgary Flames in 2014 to an immediate contributor for the Cats. Bennett put up 20 points in 15 games including the playoffs and Bill Zito inked him to a four-year deal that summer.
Since then, Bennett has notched two 20-goal campaigns and three straight 40-point seasons. This year, he’s pacing to reach those milestones again, but it is the postseason where he’s done the most damage. In 54 playoff games with the Panthers, Bennett has 37 points including 14 goals. He’s provided clutch performances and controversial moments. In Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup last season, Bennett was an offensive star and physical catalyst. Head coach Paul Maurice has stated many times that he embodies the style and identity of Florida Panthers hockey.
As Bill Zito and the Panthers gear up for the stretch run and prepare for another potential deep playoff performance, there is a question nestled in the back of Panthers fans’ minds — how much will Bennett get?
There is no doubt that he is going to get paid. Numerous reports have surfaced from reputable hockey insiders that NHL front offices are keenly monitoring the Bennett situation. It seems highly unlikely at this point — with the season Bennett is having and the Panthers near the top of the conference — that Zito would entertain a trade for him. But, then again, there weren’t many that would have predicted Mikko Rantanen to be moved out of Colorado weeks before the deadline, so anything is possible.
The priority for Zito is most likely to re-sign Bennett to an extension. Time is still on the Panthers’ side, but ultimately a decision will have to be made and the valuation for a player like Bennett is always difficult.
If he hits the free agent market, the list of suitors will be robust. There are competitive teams like Carolina, Dallas, Washington, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Utah that will have $25 million or more and could be a fit if Bennett prioritizes winning another Stanley Cup. Teams like Winnipeg, San Jose, Columbus, and Chicago could throw money at Sam if he’s after a bag this summer.
Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Montreal, the New York Rangers, and maybe even Edmonton could be lurking in the weeds — hoping to appeal to Bennett’s free agency desires. Realistically, what could Bennett get on the open market? With $7.5 million added in space for every organization across the league as the salary cap rises for the 2025-26 season, Bennett and his representation have got to feel very good about landing a lucrative contract.
Florida will likely be in a difficult spot regarding Bennett. Assuming no players with term are added or subtracted to the current roster through the trade deadline, the Panthers are sitting on $23 million in cap space for next year. Aaron Ekblad is also a pending unrestricted free agent, but Florida has 15 players on the current roster under contract for next year. Anton Lundell appears ready, or is very close, to ascending into a larger role in the top six. Zito could elect to let Bennett walk, elevate Lundell, invest in a third line center on the market and use the savings to shore up a defense that is in need of some right-handed reinforcements in the top-4.
If the Panthers are to bring back Bennett, what value makes sense for the continued success of the franchise in the short and long term? How many years should Zito commit to a physical force that skates with reckless abandon?
Just before the 4 Nations break, I researched every second line center for each organization in the NHL. I used dailyfaceoff.com’s line combination tool. There has been a lot of conversation surrounding Bennett, what he could command, and what the price tag should be for the second center in an NHL team’s lineup.
Of course, every team is not constructed in the same way and each organization’s timeline is different — whether that is contention for a Cup or a bottom-dwelling rebuild. Technically, the Edmonton Oilers second line center is Leon Draisaitl, who will likely be the highest paid player in the league next season. John Tavares is now a second line center, but he was signed by the Maple Leafs at a first line rate of $11 million AAV. And there are also teams with players on rookie level contracts centering the second line — like Will Smith in San Jose.
The average salary for a second line center in the NHL is $4,763,081. As it stands right now, the Panthers are spending under the average salary for Bennett’s services. However, if we look a little deeper, the contending teams are paying a bit more. The top-15 teams in the standings going into the 4 Nations Tournament had an average salary of $5,369,867 for their second pivot.
Then, if we look at more veteran players on contending teams, the average cost is even higher. I targeted players that were 27 or older because most in this category would have had the opportunity to negotiate as a late restricted free agent or early unrestricted free agent. Also, Bennett will be 29 when free agency opens, so he sits right in the heart of his prime-aged years.
A veteran second line center in the NHL today that is on a top-15 team is averaging a salary of $6,913,462.
Going back to last summer, conversation and debate on Litter Box Cats about Bennett’s future contract fixed on $7 million as the tipping point for annual salary. Given Bennett’s career production, his role on the team, and Florida’s firm placement as a championship contender, $7 million seems to be a reasonable salary in comparison with similar aged centers playing on the second line.
With Bennett still unsigned as the season barrels towards the March 7 trade deadline, it is reasonable to assume that $7 million is probably the lowest that his representation would consider at this time — knowing that his value could increase significantly on the open market. His offensive production isn’t as high, but Bennett can look to Carter Verhaeghe’s extension as a fair comparison. Bennett and Verhaeghe are both in the second wave of talent on the Panthers’ forward core — behind Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sam Reinhart.
It is difficult to find comparable players to Bennett throughout the league. He doesn’t have the offensive resumes of the high end second line names like Tavares ($11 million), Draisaitl ($8.5 million), or Pierre-Luc Dubois ($8.5 million). But he has shown to be more impactful with his overall game in recent years than slightly older players like Vincent Trocheck ($5.625 million), Elias Lindholm ($7.75 million), and Tomas Hertl ($8.137 million).
Bennett’s toughness and grind game is highly coveted, but his skill game is undervalued. There are very few players that can do both with aplomb.
Possibly, the contract that is most comparable with Bennett amongst the group of current second line centers is Anthony Cirelli. He signed going into his age 26 season for eight years and $6.25 million per season. Cirelli’s point production and ice time is similar to Bennett, though he’s more of a speedy pest with a little bit of grit than the hammer that Sam is on the ice.
When Cirelli signed his deal, the $6.25 million was 7.49% of cap ceiling. Going into next season’s engorged cap of $95.5 million, a 7.49% AAV would be $7,152,950.
I believe this is close to the true tipping point for the Panthers. Obviously, term determines the AAV, but I think seven years at $7.25 million could be the target for Bennett and his representation.
Panther fans, could you live with that?