Panthers in contract years are thriving in playoffs. What it means for Florida's future

Miami Herald

a day ago

The Florida Panthers have a trio of big players in forwards Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad who are mere weeks away from hitting the open market as free agents.
They're all thriving as Florida inches closer to repeating as champions.
The group has said throughout the Cup Final, which Florida leads 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena, that each has put the thoughts about his future on the back burner for now. They have to. It would be a disservice to themselves and their teammates if that was the priority instead of doing whatever they can to help the Panthers win the Stanley Cup.
But their effort and production with an extra weight on their shoulders comes as no surprise to coach Paul Maurice.
'If your game is driven by what contracts are handed out on, I think you have a higher susceptibility — I don't know that you buckle under the pressure, but I think you have a higher susceptibility to failure,' Maurice said. 'None of those three men hit the ice with that as their primary goal. They are structured. They play within the system. They play really hard, which would give you a better opportunity then to generate offense, but you have a foundational game that you can hang on to.'
That said, it will also set up the Panthers for an interesting predicament once the postseason ends.
Florida right now has $19 million in projected cap space to work with this offseason and with 16 players under contract (10 forwards, five defensemen, one goaltender) — 17 assuming rookie forward Mackie Samoskevich stays on as a restricted free agent.
That's not a lot to work with for a team that is trying to resign a few of their big players who are about to hit the open market — and will likely see at least one of them walk.
Bennett, who has been an anchor in Florida's lineup the past three years as its second-line center, leads the league with 14 goals this postseason, including four so far in the Cup Final. Maurice has regularly called Bennett an identity player for the Panthers, and he is expected to command a large market should he go to free agency. The estimates for his contract are going anywhere from $8 million to north of $11 million per year. Bennett loves Florida, but would likely have to accept something on the lower end of that projection to stay with the Panthers so they would have enough breathing room to fill out the rest of the roster. A deal at $8 million per year would make him the team's fourth-highest paid forward behind Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart.
'Honestly, since the playoffs have started, it's really just taken a back seat and I haven't really thought too much about anything other than the playoffs and getting here and now the whole focus is on winning the Stanley Cup,' Bennett said. 'Everything else is going to be in the background for the next couple weeks.'
Marchand, meanwhile, has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and is a plus-15 in 20 playoff games after being acquired as a rental at the trade deadline. He helped jump-start Florida's third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen and has fit in seamlessly with the room. But at 37, he might want to pursue one final major payday. If that's the case, Florida likely won't be in contention for him to stay beyond his three-and-half month venture this year. However, if he's willing to sign a three-year deal for, say, $4 million or $5 million per year, then there's a conversation to be had.
'Yeah, I've thought about it,' Marchand said of staying in Florida, 'but we'll deal with that in the future.'
And then there's Ekblad, who has been with the Panthers for all 11 seasons of his NHL career but is at the end of his eight-year, $60 million contract. He wants to be a Panther lifer, but the money just might not be there.
'Listen, this team, I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers,' Ekblad said ahead of the Stanley Cup Final. 'I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I've given my body and everything to this team, and I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they'll let me come to the rink.'
It all leads to what will be an interesting offseason for the Panthers.
Florida knows the ebbs and flows and roster turnover that come with players leaving following breakout seasons. There was a mass exodus last year, with the likes of defensemen Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Stenlund, Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz departing for bigger paydays.
They'll be in that predicament again come July 1.