Panthers, Bennett Agree On 8-Year, $64 Million Extension

On Friday evening, the Florida Panthers came out with an exciting announcement. The club announced that they and Sam Bennett have agreed on a new contract extension. The once impending UFA is now locked up to a new 8-year, $64 million deal to stay in South Florida.

'Benny' will be earning $8 million per season, and the contract will expire following the conclusion of the 2032-33 season. According to several sources, the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner was the top priority for the Panthers heading into this offseason. Bennett has been one of the biggest faces of the recent run of success that the franchise is currently on.

The gritty and rugged center was first acquired in a trade back on April 12, 2021, in a trade with the Calgary Flames. It's safe to say that several years later, the Panthers won this trade, and it has been a heist. Since being added to the Florida core, Bennett has raised his game. After being okay at best with the Flames from a production standpoint, Bennett has scored 95 goals and has totaled 196 points.

That is a 56-point difference that he had accumulated compared to his Calgary days, and he did that in 113 fewer games for the Cats. One of the best traits of the centerman has been his ability to step up his game in the postseason, and Florida fans have seen it. In each of these last three playoff runs, Sam has combined for 27 goals and 51 total points in 62 playoff contests.

Of course, what the 29-year-old has done this past postseason can't be forgotten. In the Cats' run towards their Stanley Cup repeat, the Ontario native scored a league-leading 15 goals. Many of them came in big spots for the Panthers. His 22 points in the playoffs were in a three-way tie for seventh, being knotted with teammate Aleksander Barkov and Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars.

The forward has been one of the best skaters in the league, who can be added to the power-play and hit. That is something that many players in the NHL can't do. Bennett has fit like a glove since coming to Sunrise. Now, Panthers fans will be enjoying more of that for the next eight years. With Bennett done, attention turns to longtime defenseman Aaron Ekblad and veteran winger Brad Marchand.