The Florida Panthers continue their strong season as defending Stanley Cup champions. They sit atop the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-10-2 with 38 points. They have collected points in seven of their last eight games with a record of 6-1-1 in that span.
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A huge reason why the team has been so successful over the past few seasons has been forward Sam Bennett. He’s been fantastic with the style of play he brings to the table. This season alone, he’s scored 13 goals and tallied 13 assists in 29 games. In addition, he was selected to represent Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off this upcoming February.
According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Bennett is seen as a trade candidate and is being looked at by the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. Also, he believes there is a “50-50 chance” he gets traded. These rumors are, in large part, due to his status as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer. Regardless, it would be incredibly foolish by the Panthers’ front office to ship him out of Sunrise.
If Bennett Goes, the Center Depth Gets a Little Thin
If the Panthers decide to part ways with Bennett, the center depth will take a big hit. The team has locks with Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell in their top nine.
But if Bennet goes, there isn’t much else to stabilize the loss. Sam Reinhart is capable of playing center, but there is a risk of creating a big gap on one of the wings of the top line. It’s not going to be easy to replace someone of his caliber.
Playoff Goal-Scoring Will Take a Dive
One huge element Bennett has brought to the team since his trade to the Panthers has been his relentless playoff performance. In his time as a Panther, he’s scored 14 playoff goals in 54 playoff appearances. Last postseason alone, he found the back of the net seven times and assisted on seven others.
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If general manager Bill Zito agrees to trade him, they’re going to lose important playoff scoring. Players such as Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe do well in that environment, but Bennett was such a key factor in setting the physical tone over the last few seasons in the postseason.
The Team Will Not Be as Physical
Bennett has always brought a physical presence to the lineup with his style of play. Granted, it has resulted in a ton of penalty minutes. But, teams will typically not get away with a cheap shot because of him. Furthermore, it works great for head coach Paul Maurice’s style which involves a strong forecheck.
If Zito and company send him packing, a huge physical piece disappears from the roster. This will make Maurice’s coaching style a little harder to implement on game day.
Hopefully, It Does Not Happen. But That Does Not Mean He’s Sticking Around
A trade could still be catastrophic to a deep playoff run. But letting him walk away in free agency is also in the realm of possibilities. As previously mentioned, he is a pending UFA this summer. Additionally, they’ve already extended Verhaeghe, Lundell and Sam Reinhart this past offseason. As a result, they only have a little more than $545,000 in projected cap room.
There is still a chance they can move another contract over and find the money to keep him around. But with a coinflip odds that he sticks around, it may not be looking too good in that department either.
