It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. We passed the trade deadline over a week ago, but we’re still experiencing the fallout from March 7. Teams may be chasing this years Stanley Cup, but general managers are always thinking about the future. We’ve already seen previous editions of NHL rumours talking about teams restarting contract talks with players.
One of those teams is the Florida Panthers. This edition of NHL rumours deals with the Panthers resuming talks with one of their key forwards.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Florida Panthers Resume Extension Talks with Important Forward
Rumour: During Saturday night’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Panthers are restarting contract talks with forward Sam Bennett.
Analysis: Friedman said that both sides of gone back to the negotiating table on a new deal. The 28-year-old forward is in the final year of a deal that sees him making $4.425 million per season. Bennett has another 20-goal season under his belt, but also plays a 200-foot game. He’s an important part of the Panthers’ team identity and general manager Bill Zito would love keep him around.
Florida made some big swings at the trade deadline in getting defenceman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhakws and Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand at the deadline. The Panthers did all they could to defend their Stanley Cup title with those moves. However, players like Bennett have played a large hand in Florida’s success.
Zito will have to make some tough choices in the off-season. Aaron Ekblad is going to need a new deal and one wonders what the future holds for Marchand, who is also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current campaign.
There will be some tough choices in the coming off-season. However, signing Bennett is going to be one of management’s top priorities.
What It Means
However, Friedman mentioned that there seems to be mutual interest in making a deal happen. The insider said that Bennett would be one of the biggest names to hit the open market should he get there. However, the Panthers are looking to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Friedman mentioned that it’s “been a good marriage” between the two sides. Bennett is in his fourth season with the team and has 98 goals and 190 assists in his tenure with the Cats. His 14 points in last season’s Stanley Cup-winning run were important and so was his physical play.
The Holland Landing, Ontario native has become a fan favourite in South Florida and it seems that both sides want this partnership to last. Finding cap space is always a concern, but Zito will likely make it happen.
Playing in the state of Florida does have an advantage of no state income tax, so a new deal would probably go further. However, there’s always the attraction of playing for a winning team. Being part of a winning culture does make a place stand out more and Florida is doing well.
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