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yesterday

Panthers Extend Sam Bennett for Eight Years in $64M Deal

Locking up the Conn Smythe winner cuts the Panthers’ cap room to about $11 million to finance upcoming extensions for Marchand, Ekblad, other core contributors.

Image
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) controls the puck against Edmonton Oilers during the first period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images/File Photo
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) skates with the Stanley Cup after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 17, 2025, at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Overview

  • Sam Bennett signed an eight-year, $64 million extension Monday, carrying an $8 million annual cap hit and keeping him under contract through the 2032–33 season.
  • Bennett’s league-leading 15 playoff goals and Conn Smythe Trophy win were cited as the driving force behind Florida’s decision to re-sign their postseason MVP without waiting for free agency.
  • The new deal reduces the Panthers’ offseason salary-cap flexibility from roughly $19 million to about $11 million, tightening funds available for other marquee negotiations.
  • General manager Bill Zito has now secured eight core players—including Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk—under long-term deals in a bid to preserve the back-to-back Stanley Cup nucleus.
  • With Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad still unsigned, analysts warn that committing $8 million per year to a 29-year-old forward could constrain Florida’s ability to retain or replace other key contributors.