Bennett: Impending free agency 'taken a back seat' during playoffs
Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett isn't worried about his next contract as he tries to chase down his second consecutive Stanley Cup.
"Honestly, since the playoffs have started, it's really just taken a back seat, and I haven't really thought too much about anything other than the playoffs and getting here, and now the whole focus is on winning the Stanley Cup," Bennett said of his impending contract negotiations, per The Athletic's Michael Russo.
"Everything else is going to be in the background for the next couple weeks."
Bennett will be one of the most heavily pursued free agents this summer if he doesn't re-up with the Panthers, with the soon-to-be 29-year-old likely to earn a notable raise from his current $4.425-million cap hit. Florida projects to have around $19 million in cap space this summer, but key teammates Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand will also be looking for new deals before joining Bennett in unrestricted free agency.
The Panthers acquired Bennett from the Calgary Flames during the 2020-21 campaign, and he revitalized his career after the trade. Bennett has hit 20 goals in three out of four seasons in Florida and leads the playoffs with 10 tallies. The 2014 fourth overall pick also stood out for Canada at this year's 4 Nations Face-Off.
"I definitely struggled in Calgary for a while," Bennett said. "Once I got here, just how the team embraced me - the opportunity the team gave me right from the beginning - was totally different than what I was getting in Calgary. I took that opportunity and found some success early, and our team definitely changed quite a bit."
Panthers general manager Bill Zito said he's content waiting until the Stanley Cup Final is over against the Edmonton Oilers to address Bennett's contract.
"We'll talk about the playoffs now and worry about that stuff later," Zito said, "Over time, things get sorted out."
The Panthers were in a similar situation with Sam Reinhart last summer. Fresh off a 57-goal season and a Stanley Cup, the forward agreed to an eight-year extension on July 1 rather than testing the free-agent market.