Elliotte Friedman Hints at Sam Bennett's Price Tag Before Free Agency
Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett let it slip that he isn't leaving Sunrise, Florida, any time soon, but the pen has yet to hit the paper when it comes to his contract extension.
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Bennett's agent, Darren Ferris, denied that Bennett and the Panthers have already signed a deal.
'At this time, no contract has been signed," Ferris told the Toronto Sun. "When there's something official, we'll share it accordingly.'
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Panthers and their Conn Smythe Trophy winner are progressing toward that contract extension to keep him in Florida for the long term, and he revealed the price and term they might end up agreeing to.
Friedman, speaking Friday on SN 590, reported that negotiations between the Panthers and Bennett's camp are centering around a long-term deal in the "7.5 to 8 million AAV range."
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Then, in his "32 Thoughts" column on Saturday, Friedman added more details to what he said on Friday's podcast.
"As the sun rose, everyone was pumping the brakes on Bennett extension talk, warning not to take such liquified announcements too seriously," Friedman wrote about Bennett's comment at the Panthers' party. "It's hard to believe he'd make such a bold proclamation without knowing where this was going, but nothing's done until it is done."
Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) reacts with teammates after scoring a goal against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Panthers general manager Bill Zito has already signaled his intention to keep Florida's top-three pending free agents — Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad — in the fold.
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"We're going to spend to the cap," Zito said during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday. "The Viola family ownership has empowered us to try to do everything we can to have the best team we can. So we're going to spend it all."
Related: Panthers' Sam Bennett Reportedly Rules Out Division Rival as Free Agency Option
Related: Sam Bennett Makes Future Crystal Clear at Panthers' Stanley Cup Party
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
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