The Florida Panthers have re-signed veteran forward Sam Bennett to a new 8 year, $64M contract extension the club announced Friday.
Bennett, who led the NHL with 15 goals during the postseason, was slated to become one of the most highly sought after players during the upcoming free agency cycle. Instead, he’ll look to make it a three-peat for the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Sunshine State.
“Sam is a special player who has mastered a unique blend of skill and physicality in his game, becoming one of the most impactful postseason performers of his generation,” said Panthers GM Bill Zito. “He played an integral role in our two Stanley Cup championships, earning the franchise’s first Conn Smythe Trophy and is a dedicated contributor to our South Florida community off the ice. We are thrilled that he will continue his career with the Panthers.”
The 29 year old set career highs in assists (26), points (51) and power-play goals (7) for Florida during the 2024-25 NHL campaign. However he took his game to the next level once again during the postseason, earning Conn Smythe Trophy honours for his efforts along the way.
Benett has tallied a total of 196 points (95G, 101A) since coming over from Calgary during the 2020-21 season. However he’s produced 59 points (29G, 30A) across 77 playoff games to help guide the cats to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories over Edmonton.
With their playoff MVP now secured for the foreseeable future, Florida’s front office will now turn their attention to the NHL Draft which takes place Friday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. After that however, the front office will need to make some more important decisions on high profile players as trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand, and longtime blue liner Aaron Ekblad are both set to become free agents on July 1st.
Photo: Arc1294. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.