The Stanley Cup Playoffs have a way of turning great players into legends, and in 2025, Sam Bennett might be writing the next great chapter. The Florida Panthers forward is playing the best hockey of his life, leading all players in goals this postseason and making a thunderous statement to the rest of the NHL: He’s worth every penny.
Bennett helps push Florida toward a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship, and his value is skyrocketing. The 27-year-old, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, scored twice in Florida’s dominant 6-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3. That performance put him at the top of the playoff goal-scoring leaderboard with 14 and also put him firmly in the conversation for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the postseason’s most valuable player.
Sam Bennett’s Playoff Surge Has NHL Teams Watching Closely
Not bad for a player who was once considered a second-liner with a gritty style, and certainly not someone expected to command $10 million a year. But if this postseason is any indication, that price tag might soon be reality.
Of course, his coach had some fun with that idea. During a timeout in Game 3, TNT’s Jackie Redmond interviewed Florida head coach Paul Maurice, who responded with tongue-in-cheek sarcasm when asked about Bennett’s value.
“He’s got a horrible attitude,” Maurice joked. “I think he’s got the bubonic plague, Dengue fever… I don’t think he can be cured.”
Bennett is too valuable to lose, and the Panthers will do anything to keep him, even if it means jokingly spreading false rumors to scare off potential bidders.
Nobody else should sign Sam Bennett. Paul Maurice a trusted source.#TimeToHunt #FlaPanthers #StanleyCup #NHL pic.twitter.com/Z11GRtesQ3
— Panthers Historian (@FlaCatsHistory) June 10, 2025
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has a clear stance on who belongs in the handshake line after a Stanley Cup Playoffs series. In hockey, it’s tradition for both players and coaches to shake hands after the final game, a gesture of respect and sportsmanship, no matter how intense the series was.
Maurice recently shared his view that coaches shouldn’t be part of the handshake line after a hockey game. He believes the moment should be reserved for the players, as they’re the ones who truly earn it. Maurice pointed out that the players are the ones who win, lose, suffer, go through pain, fight for their teammates, and take hits, and that coaches, while important, aren’t directly involved in the physical battle on the ice. In his opinion, the spotlight should stay on the players and their sacrifices.
But the jokes might stop soon, about the same, especially when the offseason hits. With seven Panthers players set to become free agents, including stars like Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, Florida’s front office will have some tough decisions to make.
Bennett, however, may force their hand. Not only has he become a leader in the locker room, but his style of play, physical, passionate, and clutch, makes him the kind of player every team dreams of adding during a playoff run.
Just look at Game 3: one shift summed it all up. He threw back-to-back body checks to cause a turnover, then went coast to coast for a breakaway goal. That mix of skill, grit, and pure determination is rare and expensive.
At the start of the playoffs, Bennett might have been seen as a $6 million guy. He could surpass Captain Aleksander Barkov’s $10 million salary and become the highest-paid Panther. Whether Florida can afford him, or if another team swoops in, remains the biggest question of the offseason.
One thing is certain: Sam Bennett has earned his moment. And the hockey world is watching.