NHL Rumours: Florida Panthers Forward Contract Talks

Analysis: Bennett is a key piece of the Panthers roster that hoisted the Stanley Cup at the end of last season. Panthers General Manager Bill Zito has already taken care of one piece of business in locking down Carter Verhaeghe to a deal.

Zito has done a solid job keeping most of this roster together. There have been some departures like Brandon Montour to the Seattle Kraken. However, he’s kept most of the band intact.

Players like Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky and others have pulled plenty of weight for Florida. However, Dreger stated that many opposing teams call Bennett “the head of the snake” when it comes to the Panthers’ lineup. He’s an important cog for the Panthers and Zito wants to keep in the fold.

High Demand for Bennett

However, Dreger does mention that it’s an open market and many teams would love to sign Bennett. The former fourth overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft could cash in elsewhere in another spot much like Montour did in Seattle.

Bennett is going to get plenty of interest should he find his way to free agency. He does a lot of things for the Panthers lineup besides scoring. The former Kingston Frontenac has an edge to his game and does all the little things needed to help a team succeed.

Those traits make him desirable to contending teams. Zito would do well to make sure he has one less thing on his July 1, 2025 checklist.

Home Advantages

David Pagnotta of the The Fourth Period mentions that Bennett is the top priority. This seems to be true now that the Verhaeghe deal has been taken care of. The 28-year-old enters the final year of his four-year, $17.7 million total pact with the hammer.

Pagnotta projects something along the lines of $6 million or $7 million per season. Nothing was mentioned on term, but it would be a long-term agreement. This could seem like a bargain considering Bennett’s meaning to the team.

One thing Florida does have as an advantage is the lack of state tax. This allows a player’s salary go a bit further than it would in other places. Zito has been able to use this to his advantage and possibly have an easier time fitting players under the cap while other teams might have a harder time.