Despite how much we believe we’ve deciphered every last mystery of the world around us, miracles, sometimes, still can catch us off guard. And that’s exactly what the Florida Panthers seem to be wanting to pull off: A miracle. Despite many hockey pundits claiming the Cats don’t have what it takes to win the Cup for the second time in a row, Paul Maurice‘s boys look resolute in defending their prize so far. And they can never be grateful enough to Sam Bennett for his contributions to the title defense campaign.

When the Canadian center arrived in Miami in 2021, Bennett couldn’t wait to make the most of the opportunity at hand. “I never felt so comfortable in my life playing hockey,” Sam said after a test run with the Panthers. Four years later, the center still looks to be loving every bit of his time in Florida as he and his teammates continue their triumphant playoff run. But all that could end, and soon.

NHL Tonight‘s E.J. Hradek went on X on May 22 to share how Bennett’s time with the Panthers could be nearing its end. Sharing the OG post by JayOnSc of TSN, Hradek claims Sam could look to set up camp elsewhere after the current season comes to an end. In March, NHL pundits noted how Bennett resumed talks with the Panthers’ top brass to negotiate his $4.4 million AAV. But Hradek thinks the chances of seeing the Florida star leave Miami are also pretty high.

“From what I’m hearing, there’s at least one team willing to hit that number for Bennett,” reads the caption of the latest X update. In a YouTube upload by TSN as well, Jay Onrait and Martin Biron also discussed how Sam Bennett’s free agency should send signals flying everywhere, considering how the Panthers star is making waves in the 2025 playoffs.

Agreeing to Onrait’s claim that Bennett could be seen as the final piece of their respective rosters by many franchises, Biron said, “I think there’s going to be 25 teams that are going to call Sam Bennett and his agent on July 1st,” as he underscored how this could spark off a massive bidding war between the teams. For justifiable reasons, the NHL expert called the situation similar to the real estate market.

And all that demand isn’t unfounded. After all, Sam had one of his seasons in 2024-25. 25 goals and 26 assists in the regular season were just one part of the Sam Bennett show that enthralled hockey fans around the world. In February, the Canadian turned out to be one of the key reasons that helped his country win the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off title. With a combined total of nine shots on goal in two games against the US, Bennett proved that his skills could give his team an edge over any foe.

In the postseason as well, Sam is proving to be every bit worth the money. 9 goals and 4 assists in 14 playoff games: The forward has made it abundantly clear that a raise should be on the horizon with his contract coming to an end this summer. But how does that compromise the Panthers?

Sam Bennett’s retention should be the priority for the Cats

The Panthers have had a pretty underwhelming regular season. Finishing third in the division, the defending champs didn’t make much impression among the hockey connoisseurs. To the extent that many NHL experts heavily doubted if Paul Maurice’s boys have what it takes to keep the cup in the Sunshine State. And yet, the fans, being the ardent Florida loyalists they are, couldn’t help but point out that the athletes would make sure to show their worth once they all came back before the playoffs.

And so they have. Riding high on the skills of Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky, and others, the Panthers trounced the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round to eliminate the in-state rivals from the playoffs for the second straight year. The team then went on to take on the Maple Leafs in the second round and won the series in a nail-biting 4-3 victory.

And in all of those matches, Sam Bennett always remained a star who the coach could depend on. The Panthers currently have a healthy 2-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals. But dark clouds hover overhead. Along with Sam, Brad Marchand, who transferred to the team in March, could also be on his way out after becoming a free agent in the summer.

Which of these stars do you think Florida should go the extra mile to retain? Tell us in a comment!