Sam Bennett likely to return to Panthers, but it’s not a guarantee for him, or other pending UFAs like Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand
TSN: Chris Johnston on the Florida Panthers pending unrestricted free agents Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Gino Reda: “What about the Panthers? They’re well on their way to making it back-to-back Cups, and yet they got three guys in our top 11 on our list who could have a foot out the door. Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, of course, all pending UFAs. Run these guys down as most likely to return, to wouldn’t be surprised if he moved on at all.
Chris Johnston: “I’d say most likely to return, I’m going to go with Sam Bennett. And you know, well, there’s certainly a lot of teams out there that are looking what he’s doing just in these playoffs alone. But you know, he brings some intangibles that go beyond, you know, what you measure in goals or point production. And I do believe he’d like to remain in Florida.
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And if you look at the Panthers, they have lost free agents of the past. I mean, they lost seven or eight guys almost immediately after winning the Stanley Cup last spring, but they were largely players around the fringes. They’ve done a good job of maintaining their core talent, and I believe Sam Bennett fits that mold for the light, for the Panthers rather, pardon me, a little slip of the tongue.
And so I think that he’s likely, the most likely, I’d say, to return from the UFAs. It’s certainly not a guarantee by any means. Because another thing is, Florida is comfortable. I think letting players walk if that’s where they get to right?
You know, Aaron Ekblad has been a Panther his entire career. Since being a number one overall pick, he’s had a tough season. In some ways, I think he’s had to bounce back here in these playoffs, since returning their lineup after missing 20 games for that suspension for the performance-enhancing substance he took during the season.
But you know, they’ve also acquired Seth Jones, and so in some ways, you know, it’s optimal. Of course, you can keep Ekblad in that mix and Jones, but I do think they have a bit of a replacement on the right side, should the contract ask and what they’re desiring to pay him not meet themselves.
And finally, another of the UFAs is Brad Marchant. And admittedly, this one is a little bit harder to handicap. He’s a newer player there. He’s fit in so seamlessly. Obviously, he wanted to be in Florida. That’s one of the reasons the Bruins dealt him there at the deadline. But I think he’s got a great chance to cash in, in this free agent period. I think that he’d be in really hot demand if he does hit the open market on July 1st.
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And so, wouldn’t surprise me if maybe he elects to go somewhere to have one big final payday at the end of this run. But you know that being said, most players don’t want to leave Florida, and I think the Panthers know that. So you know there’s a bit of a dynamic at play there, but certainly this team is probably going to lose talent, as they have been previous years. What the Panthers do so well is find ways to replace it.
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