UFA Forward Sam Bennett Reportedly Closing In on New Contract, per Insider

With all eyes focused on the Stanley Cup Finals, so too are eyes on what Sam Bennett's future will look like. Does the veteran keep searching for continued success with Florida or does he decide to head elsewhere to try and lead a team to glory?

According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, who was speaking on the NHL Network recently, believes that Sam Bennett's deal is nearly set with Florida, and it looks like he's going to get paid.

While it's not close to the supposed $10M that Bennett was projected to potentially receive, it's still a hefty pay raise for a player who has never been a regular season force, but comes alive in the playoffs.

If the deal goes through, Bennett will be in Florida until he's 37 which pretty much assures him that he will finish his career as a Panther.

There was always the potential for Bennett to make more money elsewhere, and teams like Toronto might have bitten the bullet and signed him for more, but the consistent competitive edge and stability certainly were key factors in Bennett choosing to re-up.

While nothing is yet official, it wouldn't be surprising to hear of an extension towards the end of the Finals, and could potentially break as early as next week.

He hasn't reached the heights of other Panthers legends such as Olli Jokinen or even current captain Aleksander Barkov, but with him in town for the long haul, he will go down as one of their greatest ever.

If Bennett were to average 25 points per season for the next eight years, that would put him fourth all-time in points (396) for the Panthers ahead of Stephen Weiss (394).

He's already fourth all-time in playoff points, and if he keeps up his current production and pace, will no doubt fight with Barkov for top spot in franchise history, and if he leads the Panthers to several more Cups; will be one of the greatest playoff performers in the modern day NHL.

This season, Bennett scored a career-high 51 points (25G, 26A) but it's his playoff output that's been extraordinary.

With 21 points in 21 games (14G, 7A) and leading the playoffs in goals; for someone who has never hit 60 points in a full season he has 50 points over his last 60 playoff games.

Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny that Sam Bennett has been one of the most reliable and consistent performers over the past three seasons.

Now it seems like he has eight more to put a cap on an already very successful NHL career.