Florida Panthers, Sam Bennett agree to eight-year contract extension
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) hoists the Stanley Cup as teammates celebrate on stage during the team's victory parade and rally along A1A in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday, June 22, 2025
It's official: Sam Bennett ain't leaving the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers on Friday announced they have agreed to an eight-year contract extension with Bennett that will keep the center with the team through the 2032-33 season. The deal has an average annual value of $8 million. It's a massive pay raise from Bennett's previous deal, which paid him an average of $4.425 million per year.
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'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,' Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said in a press release. '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.'
And it's for good reason. Bennett has been a stabilizer for the Panthers since coming to Florida at the 2021 trade deadline from the Calgary Flames. The center has a perfect blend of physicality and scoring touch that has allowed him to thrive in Florida's system under coach Paul Maurice and a key reason why the Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
In 289 regular-season games with the Panthers, Bennett has produced 196 points (95 goals, 101 assists) while also laying out 616 hits and winning 46.4 percent of his faceoffs.
He had a career-year in 2024-25, setting single-season highs in points (51) and assists (26) while also scoring 25 goals.
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Bennett's game elevated in the playoffs, scoring a league-leading 15 goals in the postseason — including an NHL record 13 on the road — on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP.
Bennett made it clear twice after Florida won its second title that he wanted to stay.
He proclaimed 'I ain't [expletive] leaving!' during the team's celebration at the Miami nightclub E11even on Thursday night as the crowd chanted 'eight more years!' At the team's championship parade on Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday, Bennett reiterated his desire to remain with the Panthers during his brief speech, which he capped by saying 'eight more years, please.'
That wish has been granted, and now Bennett becomes the latest member of Florida's core to be signed long-term.
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Bennett is one of eight Panthers players under contract through at least the 2029-30 season, joining forwards Aleksander Barkov (2029-30), Matthew Tkachuk (2029-30), Anton Lundell (2029-30), Sam Reinhart (2031-32) and Carter Verhaeghe (2032-33) along with defensemen Seth Jones (2029-30) and Gustav Forsling (2031-32).
Where things stand for the Panthers
Assuming Florida gives qualifying offers to both of its primary restricted free agents in forward Mackie Samoskevich and newly acquired goaltender Daniil Tarasov, the Panthers will have 19 players — 12 forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders — under contract now that the Bennett deal is official. They have $11 million in cap space remaining before factoring in deals for Samoskevich or Tarasov.
The big question becomes if that be enough for the Panthers to retain their final two big pending free agents in defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Brad Marchand, who are slated to hit the open market on Tuesday if a deal isn't struck by then. Both have said they want to stay — Ekblad has been with Florida all 11 seasons of his NHL career, while Marchand seems to have found a new home here after quickly becoming a fan favorite and an instant fit following his acquisition at the trade deadline in March. Concessions will likely have to be made to get both to sign unless the Panthers deal away another player on the roster to free up cap space.
It will be an interesting task for Zito over the next couple days to make the logistics work.
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