30 NHL stars who could be traded this offseason

14. Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers

There is always a bump that comes from playing in the Stanley Cup Final. It’s the one time of the year that everyone has their eyes on literally one matchup. This year is the second year in a row that the Florida Panthers made it to the Final, and Sam Bennett has been able to showcase what he can do on an international stage. 

He’s been really good in these playoffs, and more importantly, he’s been consistent. He has points in all but one of the Final games against the Edmonton Oilers. He had goals in each of the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Rangers. On top of providing offense, he’s playing “playoff hockey.” It’s a special hard-nosed style that teams will overpay for because it’s not easy to find in today’s finesse hockey.

So, why would the Panthers trade a premium asset in a contention window? Well, it will likely happen because they will sit down to discuss a contract extension, and it won’t go well. Bennett is eligible to sign a new deal on July 1 that would kick in in 2025, which means the Panthers can gauge what that will cost. If they don’t like the price, they can trade Bennett for a ton. 

This also might be a situation the Panthers can’t avoid if they sign Sam Reinhart. The Panthers have premium free agents, and they don’t want to lose everyone after a Stanley Cup win (if it happens). They will need to really evaluate their assets, and if Bennett is asking for above-market, they might ask for another team to take that risk.