The Florida Panthers, for a second consecutive season, are the Stanley Cup champions. The Panthers trounced the Edmonton Oilers – this time in six games – to yet again win the most iconic trophy in all of modern-day professional sports. Game 6 was yet another dominant showing by the Panthers, as they won the Cup by a massive 5-1 scoreline.
Sam “Conn Smythe” Bennett
For starters, the Conn Smythe Trophy (which is given to the playoff MVP) was awarded to none other than Sam Bennett, and deservedly so. Bennett led the Panthers to victory time and time again with a franchise record in playoff goals scored at 15; 13 of these goals were scored on the road, which is an NHL record in and of itself. Bennett has been nothing short of instrumental in the Panthers’ continued and sustained success throughout the entire playoffs, but he really turned the engines on in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers.
Bennett is set to officially become an unrestricted free agent, but there has been word that the Panthers are “very close” to re-signing him to a contract extension. Reportedly, that extension carries an $8 million average annual value (AAV) and is around seven or eight years in total. I suppose we will see if the Panthers have, indeed, extended Bennett and if they will announce the extension at the Stanley Cup parade like they did with Sam Reinhart last year.
Brad Marchand: The Best Trade Deadline Acquisition in Modern Hockey
Brad Marchand’s impact on this playoff run and the Stanley Cup Final series simply cannot be understated. He hit the ground running with the Panthers and immediately fit right in as “The Rat King”, as he’s affectionately been called by Panthers fans since he got to South Florida.
Related: The Florida Panthers and the History of the Rats
Marchand will likely hit the free agency market and is set to cash in big time after his uncanny ability to turn back the clock and play hockey as if he’s still a spry young man in his 20s was on full display throughout the playoffs and the latter half of the regular season. It’s absolutely bonkers that the Panthers gave up nothing more than a single draft pick to acquire Marchand; the next team he plays for will likely give up much, much more.
Sam Reinhart Still Shining
Last, but certainly not least, we come to Reinhart, who basically single-handedly won the Panthers the Stanley Cup in Game 6. Reinhart notched the first-ever Stanley Cup Final hat trick in Panthers’ history; he actually scored four goals last night, but who’s counting?
Reinhart has been yet another addition to the Panthers’ squad that showcases not only the culture the team has cultivated in the last few years, but general manager Bill Zito’s dedication to building the perfect hockey team, as well as his ability to actually follow through and build the perfect hockey team. Reinhart looked to be on the outs in Buffalo when the Panthers acquired him, despite being arguably the best player remaining on their team at that time.
There are so many other takeaways that could be gleaned from Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. Did Dmitry Kulikov ever envision himself winning a Stanley Cup with the Panthers after being drafted 14th overall way back in 2009? Is Sergei Bobrovsky a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer? What would this already dominant playoff run look like with a fully healthy Matthew Tkachuk? Lots of questions still remain (some of which I will absolutely find out the answers to this summer), but the one question that has been lingering on many folks’ minds since these playoffs began has been answered. Are the Panthers a true hockey dynasty? The answer, folks, is a huge, resounding “YES”.
