NHL: Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins - Source: Imagn — NHL insider hints at a progress in Sam Bennett's contract talks with Florida Panthers (Credits: IMAGN)

NHL Rumors: Insider shares latest on Sam Bennett’s future with Florida Panthers as contract nears end

Modified Mar 16, 2025 17:43 GMT

Sam Bennett is in the final year of his contract with the Florida Panthers and will enter free agency on July 1 if the Panthers don't retain him. With 45 points this season, the center is four short of his career-best 49 points.

Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Panthers have restarted contract talks with Bennett.

"There's not a lot of business that generally happens at this point of year. Things really do calm down. But Sam Bennett, as it stands right now, would be one of the biggest free agents available on July 1, if he gets there," Friedman said on Saturday Headlines. (0:26 onwards)

"I don't want to handicap this, but the word in the press box Thursday night, as Florida played in Toronto, was the talks have resumed between Bennett and the Panthers. Again, I don't want to handicap it, don't want to say one way or the other. But they are trying and it's been a very good marriage between player and team.

This means both sides are interested in a deal, but nothing is final.

Sam Bennett's stats at the Florida Panthers

Bennett arrived in 2021 in a trade from the Calgary Flames and has registered 92 goals and 98 assists (190 points) in 278 games for Florida.

This season, the center has notched 22 goals and 23 assists in 65 games to help the Panthers (41-23-3) lead the Atlantic Division. Last season, he helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final. He had 14 points in 19 playoff games and led the team with 87 hits.

Bennett’s current 4-year $17,700,000 contract is worth $4.25 million annually. His strong performance could earn him a raise in his next deal. The Panthers want to keep him, but it is unclear if a deal will happen soon.

Sam Bennett is currently on a five-game point streak

Sam Bennett has registered a point in five successive games in March, with his three goals and three assists (six points) helping the Florida Panthers stay competitive. His best came against the Toronto Maple Leafs, with two goals on 50% shooting - including the game-winner - in 19:51 minutes of ice time.

On Mar. 15, Bennett had an assist in a 3-1 loss to Montreal. He played 20:26, his highest ice time during this streak. In his other three latest games, the center recorded an assist in a 3-2 loss to Boston (Mar. 11), a goal in the 4-0 win over Buffalo (Mar. 8) and an assist in the 3-0 Columbus win (Mar. 3).

Sam Bennett has also been consistent with his two-way play, with a rating of +2 in this stretch.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with 3 years of experience as a travel writer. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr, while John Tortorella is his favorite coach of all time due to his outspoken personality.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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