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Panthers Sign Sam Bennett To Eight-Year Extension

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The Florida Panthers have signed reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64MM contract extension, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. The move was later confirmed by the Panthers. It will carry an annual-average-value of $8MM and carry Bennett through his age-37 season. The contract will also carry a no-movement clause through the first five years, and a no-trade clause through the final three years, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

After a postseason full of speculation as to where he’d land next, Bennett will stand by his word and re-sign with the Panthers. The deal clocks in at a cheaper price than many speculated he could receive on the open market, especially after leading the playoffs with 15 goals in 23 games. No other player scored more than 11 goals. Bennett was ferocious through every single game in Florida’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup win. Serving as the team’s top-line left-wing, Bennett earned 22 points in summer hockey, with many coming on the back of relentless play around the opponent’s net.

The postseason performance was the culmination of what many knew Bennett was capable of. He’s long served as an imposing, aggressive presence in the offensive end – capable of racking up just as many penalty minutes as he does points. He scored 14 points in 19 games of Florida’s Stanley Cup win last season, after netting 41 points and 100 penalty minutes during the regular season. That marked Bennett’s third-straight season reaching at least 40 points – a streak he maintained this season by posting a career-high 51 points in 76 games. He added 90 penalty minutes and a minus-15 to that stat line.

Bennett has now scored 20 goals and 40 points in three of the last four seasons. His only miss – the 2022-23 campaign – saw him net 16 goals and 40 points in just 63 games. He’s proven incredibly reliable ever since joining the Panthers via trade in the 2020-21 season. Florida acquired him from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Emil Heineman and a second-round pick ultimately used by Seattle to select David Goyette. Heineman was traded earlier today in Montreal’s acquisition of Noah Dobson.

Bennett scored 15 points in his first 10 games with the Panthers following his trade. In the years since, he’s combined for 95 goals and 196 points in 289 games – the fifth most on the Panthers behind Aleksander Barkov (332), Sam Reinhart (324), Carter Verhaeghe (254), and Matthew Tkachuk (254). Bennett has also totaled 59 points in 77 playoff games in Florida, fourth on the team behind Verhaeghe (76), Barkov (74), and Tkachuk (69).

This deal will likely carry Bennett through the end of his career in a Florida Panthers jersey. The Holland Landing, Ontario native originally began his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, who selected him fourth-overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. Bennett played through his rookie NHL season in the 2015-16 campaign and earned a hardy 18 goals and 36 points in 77 games. His stout performance was drowned out by a loaded 2015-16 rookie class – headlined by Artemi Panarin, Jack Eichel, and Connor McDavid. But Bennett showed he could do more than just score with a lofty 75 penalty minutes in 81 games of his sophomore season. With that performance, he fell into the rut of bruising middle-six center in Calgary – a role he would stick in until moving to the Panthers.

Florida has brought out the best of the best in Bennett, and been rewarded two Stanley Cups for their efforts. The 2024-25 season was undoubtedly the best in the 29-year-old’s NHL career – and interestingly ended with him serving as a utility tool more than a set-in center. Florida could expand that role as Bennett enters his 30s, especially with a measly 46.4 faceoff percentage over the last five seasons. Having a Swiss-army-knife locked up for the foreseeable future will be an invaluable piece for the Panthers, as they look to maintain their top-of-the-league presence for as long as possible.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Capitals Acquire Justin Sourdif

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The Capitals have added some forward depth, announcing that they’ve acquired Justin Sourdif from the Panthers.  In return, Florida receives Washington’s second-round pick in 2026 and Washington’s sixth-round selection in 2027.

The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by the Panthers back in 2020, going 87th overall.  He spent the following two seasons in the WHL, splitting time between Vancouver and Edmonton, including his final season that saw him notch 72 points in just 52 games.

However, despite the offensive prowess in junior, NHL playing time has been hard to come by so far for Sourdif.  He has just four appearances at the top level under his belt with only one of those coming this season in a game in late February when he scored his first career NHL goal.  The rest of his time has been spent at the AHL level with Charlotte.

After putting up 24 points in 48 games with the Checkers in his first professional season in 2022-23, Sourdif was able to improve on that the following year with 38 points in 58 appearances.  This year, his point total dipped slightly to 34 but he only got into 43 games after missing the first month of the season due to an injury sustained during training camp.  He played an important role in Charlotte’s run to the Calder Cup Finals, collecting 10 points and 32 penalty minutes in 18 postseason appearances.

Sourdif will be waiver-eligible for the first time next season and clearly, the Capitals feel that he’s ready for full-time duty at the NHL level despite the limited opportunity that he has received so far and were willing to give up a return of some significance to make sure they got him while Florida adds a pair of future selections to their pick cupboards which aren’t exactly well-stocked at the moment.

The first order of business for the Capitals with Sourdif will be signing him to a new contract as his entry-level deal is set to expire at the end of the month.  He’ll be a restricted free agent without arbitration eligibility and will be owed a two-way qualifying offer worth $874K in the NHL and $80K in the minors.  Given that they clearly view Sourdif as an NHL piece moving forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a one-way contract given to him that checks in a little below that amount, giving Washington a little extra cap flexibility heading into free agency.

Panthers Acquire Daniil Tarasov From Blue Jackets

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The Florida Panthers are making quick work to fill in their hole at backup goaltender. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Florida Panthers have acquired netminder Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In response to LeBrun’s report, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic shared that the Blue Jackets are acquiring a late-round draft pick in the trade. Columbus confirmed the trade, announcing they’ve acquired Florida’s 2025 fifth-round pick (160th overall) for their former backup.

As a potential non-tender candidate heading into the offseason, the Blue Jackets did decent work in not letting Tarasov leave for nothing. After being surpassed toward the end of the 2024-25 campaign by youngster Jet Greaves, there was little chance Tarasov would remain in Columbus for next season. Now, he’ll attempt to revive his career behind fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky.

There was a time when Tarasov was believed to be the future of the crease for the Blue Jackets. Columbus selected Tarasov with the 86th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, and he quickly impressed a year later with the MHL’s Tolpar Ufa. After spending a few years in the Liiga and KHL, including a strong 2020-21 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where Tarasov recorded an 11-3-2 record in 16 games and achieved a .925 save percentage, the Blue Jackets brought Tarasov to North America.

Unfortunately, his professional career in North America got off to a slow beginning. In his first two years with the Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, Tarasov participated in just 43 games, which limited his development opportunities.

It wasn’t until the 2023-24 season that Tarasov became a full-time member of Columbus’ goaltending tandem. He managed an 8-11-3 record in 24 games with a .908 SV% and 3.18 GAA. His underlying metrics were strong, including 3.9 goals saved above average (GSAA) and a .565 quality start percentage, indicating that his development had returned to the right track.

Alas, this past season undid most of the positive steps he took a year ago. After starting the year as the backup again, Tarasov ended with a 7-10-2 record in 20 games, posting a .881 save percentage and a 3.54 goals against average, which caused his GSAA to drop to -10.5, resulting in the loss of his roster spot.

Given that Bobrovksy started 54 games for the Panthers during the 2024-25 season, and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, Tarasov should garner similar deployment next season. He’ll benefit from a stronger defensive core in front of him and may see his earning power grow before he becomes an unrestricted free agent before the 2026-27 NHL season.

No Progress On Extension Between Panthers, Aaron Ekblad

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Aaron Ekblad appears the least likely of the Panthers’ three major pending unrestricted free agents to sign a new deal with the club, Pierre LeBrun said on TSN’s Early Trading on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to say there’s no chance he re-signs, but the reality is that I don’t think there’s been a lot of negotiation throughout the year since last summer on Aaron Ekblad,” LeBrun said. “I think the term was an issue the last time both sides talked about a potential extension. There’s some hard miles there on Ekblad, although he’s a very important player on that team.”

Testing the free agent waters isn’t Ekblad’s first choice. During the later stages of their championship run, he was public about his desire to stay with the Panthers, who drafted him first overall in 2014. However, while LeBrun relays that the Panthers aren’t willing to offer him a max-term extension, the AAV of the deal was also a point of contention as recently as a couple of weeks ago, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

With Florida not offering him maximum security nor matching the $7.5MM cap hit of his expiring contract, Ekblad may feel he’s leaving too much on the table by staying in Sunrise. He’ll be the most coveted defenseman on the market and will rank high among our top 50 free agents this summer – that list will release ahead of Friday’s draft. Those “hard miles” LeBrun mentioned could sway some suitors away from offering him the most extended contract. Still, as he’s only eligible for a seven-year deal if he hits the market, that may be more appealing to some than an eight-year deal is to the Cats.

Ekblad hasn’t played a full 82-game schedule since 2018-19, and he’s only hit the 70-game mark once since then. He’s lost at least 20 games due to injury in three of the last five seasons, not including the 20-game ban he received this year for performance-enhancing substances.

When healthy this year, though, Ekblad showed he’s still a top-pairing threat when in the lineup. He got some power-play minutes back after Brandon Montour left for the Kraken in free agency last summer, and his point totals rebounded in kind after underwhelming offensive showings in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He produced a 3-30–33 scoring line in 56 games, the fourth-highest points per game rate of his career, and averaged north of 23 minutes per game in the process.

Ekblad’s possession impacts haven’t been elite at any point in his career, but he’s never been a defensive liability, either. That didn’t change in 2024-25, posting a 55.9 CF% at even-strength that was 1.1% higher relative to Florida’s possession play without him on the ice.

The 29-year-old is likely a year or two past his absolute peak earning potential, a risk he took when signing an eight-year, $60MM extension immediately upon becoming eligible to do so in the final year of his entry-level contract. All 11 of his NHL seasons have been spent in a Panthers jersey, and he’s far and away the most impactful defenseman in Panthers franchise history. He’s first in games played (732), goals (118), assists (262), points (380), and second in plus-minus (+96) behind frequent partner Gustav Forsling’s +166 mark over the last five years.

AFP Analytics projects Ekblad could earn $7.8MM per season on a max-term seven-year deal on the open market, meaning right-shot-needy teams who aren’t in a favorable cap position like the Avalanche and Stars won’t be in the conversation. Other teams with more cash to spend in a contending position or looking to make the jump, like the Hurricanes, Sabres, Blue Jackets, and Red Wings, could be legitimate suitors if he doesn’t sign a new deal with Florida.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

Puljujarvi Expected To Sign In Swiss League

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  • While Jesse Puljujarvi was one of only a few players still playing in the Calder Cup Finals (until recently when Abbotsford won the series in six), it appears he’s already looking ahead to his next deal. Blick, a Swiss newspaper, reports that the 27-year-old is likely to sign in the Swiss NL next season, likely with HC Lugano.  Puljujarvi started the year with Pittsburgh, getting into 26 games but asked for his contract to be terminated after he cleared waivers and was sent to the minors in February.  He quickly signed with Florida’s AHL team and was eventually converted to an NHL contract, getting into five games with the Panthers.  But while Puljujarvi has nearly 400 games at the top level under his belt, he has been more of an NHL-AHL ‘tweener’ lately so heading overseas where he can play a bigger role might make the most sense for him.

Tkachuk 50-50 On Needing Surgery

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  • After playing through a torn adductor muscle for the entire postseason, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk told reporters including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that he is 50-50 in terms of whether he’ll need surgery or not. He will take the next few weeks to let the injury heal on its own and then see if he’ll need to go under the knife.  If surgery is needed, it could put Tkachuk’s availability for the start of next season in question.  Despite the injury, he still managed to produce a point per game in Florida’s 23 playoff contests.

Conn Smythe Voting Results Revealed

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While Sam Bennett took home the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy after a historic postseason run that included 15 goals, the voting was closer than many might expect. The Professional Hockey Writers Association released the voting results, with Bennett receiving 76 points and teammate Brad Marchand close behind with 68.

Bennett and Marchand were the only players to receive first- and second-place votes, making them the clear-cut choices among the 18 writers. Others receiving votes included Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky and Gustav Forsling, and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. Points were awarded on a 5-3-1 basis, and the deadline to submit ballots to the NHL occurred with 10 minutes remaining in Game 6.

From the start of the playoffs, Bennett established himself as a force. While he was one of five Panthers to record at least 22 points during the playoffs, his 15 goals led the team by a margin of four. He also became just the fourth active player to score at least 15 goals in a single postseason, joining Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Zach Hyman. He also joins an elite list of centers to accomplish the feat, including Crosby, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Joe Sakic.

Marchand posted 10 goals and 20 points during the playoffs, but shone brightest in the finals, where he scored six goals, including Game 2’s overtime winner. After going without a goal in the Panthers’ opening series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Marchand went on to produce 10 goals in the team’s final 18 games. Acquired at the trade deadline from the rival Boston Bruins, Marchand is one of the most pivotal deadline additions in recent memory.

Bobrovsky finished a distant third in voting with 10 points. He delivered his usual steady performance in goal, posting a .914 save percentage and three shutouts over 23 playoff games. He arguably saved his best for last, turning aside 28 of Edmonton’s 29 shots in the cup-clincher. Bobrovsky finished fourth Conn Smythe voting last season.

Panthers Repeat As Stanley Cup Champs, Bennett Wins Conn Smythe

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Aided by Sam Reinhart’s four goals, the Florida Panthers have repeated as Stanley Cup Champions, defeating Edmonton in Game 6 by a score of 5-1. For his efforts, pending free agent Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe after posting 15 goals throughout the playoffs.

Florida’s stars shone bright throughout the playoffs, including fantastic efforts by the likes of Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk, and, of course, solid play between the pipes from star netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. Remarkably, the Panthers had nine players record at least 15 points throughout the playoffs, with six recording at least 20 points. However, Bennett led the way with his incredible finishing ability. His knack for elevating his game in the playoffs culminated in a well-deserved Conn Smythe win, and he’s now poised to cash in on his next contract.

For Edmonton, it’s another season that has ended in heartbreak. Despite another postseason of heroics from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers were once again undone by their defensive flaws and inconsistent goaltending. For his part, McDavid has amassed an absurd 75 points over the last two playoffs, including last season’s Conn Smythe win, while Draisaitl added an incredible 65 points in that time. However, both stars will have to wait for their shot at hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Bobrovsky turned aside 28 of Edmonton’s 29 shots. “Bob” was particularly strong in the second period, turning aside 10 shots, including several high-danger chances. A key moment came midway through the second period when McDavid and Corey Perry broke out on a two-on-one. However, Perry couldn’t get solid contact on McDavid’s pass through the crease. Just a few minutes later, Reinhart potted his second of the game, giving Florida a commanding 3-0 lead and essentially putting the game out of reach. He scored his third and fourth goals on empty-netters late in the third period.

With the Stanley Cup Finals concluded, another NHL season comes to a close. Attention now turns to a busy offseason schedule, which includes the NHL Draft and the start of free agency in the next few weeks.

Sam Bennett’s Next Contract Expected To Exceed Teammate Verhaeghe’s

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Forward Sam Bennett is having a phenomenal postseason run for the Panthers, and it’s coming at an opportune time for the pending free agent. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is set to land a hefty contract, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on radio show SN590 that while the Panthers have reportedly offered Bennett a deal similar to Carter Verhaeghe’s recent extension, he believes it won’t be enough to keep him in Florida.

The Panthers and Verhaeghe agreed to an eight-year extension in October. He will earn $7MM each year of the deal, with $46MM of the $56MM being paid out in bonuses. Florida also gave Verhaeghe a six-year no-move clause that began this past season and will last the first five years of his new deal. However, Friedman believes Bennett has priced himself out of a similar deal.

“I think they tried to sign Bennett to the Verhaeghe deal, which was eight years times $7MM with bonus structure. That’s not going to get it done,” he said.

While Verhaeghe and Bennett posted similar regular-season numbers (Verhaeghe recorded 53 points to Bennett’s 51 this past season), Bennett has elevated his game in the postseason. While playing with his usual physicality, Bennett has taken his game to another level ahead of free agency with an impressive 15 goals in 22 postseason games. Add in that he and Mitch Marner are poised to set the market for free agents as the top two names available, and Bennett is poised for a big payday. Even if he takes a hometown discount to remain in Florida, he’ll command much more than his expiring deal, which came with a $4.425MM AAV. To keep Bennett in the fold, the Panthers may need to offer a deal closer to the eight-year, $69MM extension that kept star Sam Reinhart off the market last summer. That deal came with a cap hit of $8.625MM per season.

However, as Friedman points out, the Panthers have some other key pending free agents to consider, including franchise staple Aaron Ekblad and veteran Brad Marchand, who is having his own heroic postseason run. With $19MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, Panthers GM Bill Zito will need to get creative if he hopes to retain all three players next season. And while hometown discounts are always possible—especially for a team as successful as Florida—Friedman cautions that those can’t be relied upon.

“I think people can always take a little less, and that’s fine. Do what makes you happy. But while you’re always willing to take a little bit less, the question is how much? I think for every person that’s different. And I think there are some teams out there that are really prepared to make Marchand some big, short-term offers. And nothing in the playoffs has changed my opinion on that. In fact, it’s only grown. So, I think the biggest question for Florida is what they can do against what some other teams are going to be able to do,” he said.

Updates On Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad

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Although the organization’s main sights are on winning its second Stanley Cup championship in as many years, the Florida Panthers have a few key pending unrestricted free agents to worry about. In an interview on NHL Network, David Pagnotta believes negotiations are going much better with one than they are with the other.

A few days ago, James Mirtle of The Athletic reported that virtually no teams are expecting Sam Bennett to reach free agency, and Pagnotta believes that’s the case. In the interview, Pagnotta shared that Bennett and the Panthers are negotiating a new deal that would pay him approximately $64MM over eight years.

Bennett’s value largely comes from his postseason performances and the intangibles. AFP Analytics projected Bennett’s next deal around the six-year, $40MM range, which is reasonable given he’s only scored more than 50 points in one season. Still, he’s an extremely physical forward, has responded well to Florida’s possession-heavy scheme, and has a unique ability to get under the skin of opponents.

He’s been an instrumental part of the Panthers’ run to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Since the start of the 2022-23 postseason, Bennett has scored 26 goals and 50 points in 60 games, and is leading this year’s playoffs in goals. Outside of putting pucks in the net, Bennett has made headlines this postseason for his extracurricular activity, particularly his somewhat egregious physicality toward opposing teams’ netminders.

Unfortunately, negotiations aren’t going as smoothly with defenseman Aaron Ekblad, according to Pagnotta. Despite Ekblad’s public desire to remain with the only organization he’s known, Ekblad and his representation are asking for a similar or increased salary on his current $7.5MM AAV, but the Panthers only feel comfortable paying him in the $6MM range.

In Florida’s defense, Ekblad has had significant injury issues throughout his entire career, only playing in a full campaign in three seasons out of his 11-year career. Still, offering him a 20% pay decrease as the salary cap rises projects as an unbridgeable gap.

Ekblad is only a few weeks away from reaching unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career, and he could become more amenable to a lower salary if his comfortability in Florida outweighs his salary demands. Still, as a capable top-four right-handed defenseman, Ekblad should be able to match or increase his salary on the open market.

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