The Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers are one week away from a startling wake up from the world’s best dream. NHL free agency begins July 1st, and the Panthers have a lot of mouths to feed. Of those mouths none are more important than Con Smythe award winner, Sam Bennett. With reports that Bennett’s contract could wind up north of $8 million a year, the Boston Bruins have emerged as a team that can afford the talented forward.
“The Boston Bruins could be looking to make a splash this offseason after a rough campaign in 2024–25 that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017,” SI’s Karl Rasmussen writes. “With a need in the center of the ice, Bennett could be their best option to pursue.”
It’s true. With the exception of Mitch Marner, Bennett is the single most talented player who will enter free agency in this year’s class. The advantage to taking a stab at Bennett is that his contract might be half the cost of Marner’s.
“Bennett is right in his prime at 29 years old, but he’d provide Boston with some additional physicality on the offensive end, as well as another experienced goal scoring threat,” Rasmussen concludes. “The 11-year veteran has scored 20 or more goals in three of the last four years, and his 25 goals last season would have ranked third on the Bruins behind only David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie.”
Bennett is going to be looking for a big contract with a lot of zeroes, and the Bruins are in a position to provide that.
Are The Boston Bruins Rebuilding Or Not?
The Bruins shipped off their captain at the deadline, a clear marker of a team pursuing a new identity. Now the former perennial playoff Bruins are stuck in a limbo between a few big stars and a full on rebuild.
It’s hard to call for a rebuild when you have one of the most expensive goaltenders in the National Hockey League in Jeremy Swayman. On top of that, you’ve got one of the leagues best talents under contract until 2030, in David Pastrnak.
The way I see it, with a new head coach, and a top-ten draft pick, this Bruins team is one Sam Bennett away from returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs. And they’ve got more than $23 million to build a roster before October.
Why Sam Bennett Is Worth The Money
Sam Bennett just finished up a four year contract with Florida, bringing in $4.4 million every trip around the sun. In those four years, he won back-to-back Stanley Cups, brought home the Con Smythe after a 15 goal playoff run, and averaged 22 goals a year.
Reports are saying Bennett was ready to settle for around $7 million to stay in Florida, but as interest in acquiring him has grown, some experts say this price tag is going up. I personally would be surprised to see Bennett put pen to paper for anything less than $8 million AAV.
Time is running out for the Panthers to lock Bennett down before other teams get a chance to take a stab at him. The way it’s trending right now, the Panthers might not like what he hears from those organizations.
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