E11even In Miami Seems Like The Perfect Spot For Sam Bennett To Announce He's Not Leaving The Florida Panthers

Alexander Tamargo. Getty Images.

Sam Bennett's NHL career has been a wild one. He was a 4th overall draft pick to the Calgary Flames in 2014. He had just come off of a 91-point season in the OHL, so he had a ton of offensive upside. He never really became the 30+ goal scorer Calgary thought he could be, so they traded him for pennies to the Florida Panthers. He signed a 4-year deal in Florida and found a new role as one of the biggest dirtbags in hockey. Elbows everywhere, taking runs at guys, rabbit punching Brad Marchand in the face. Sam Bennett turned into one of the biggest rats in hockey. But then he also started to find his actual game a little more. He went from underperforming in Calgary, to being a rat with the Panthers, to then being a guy who just won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs after leading the Florida Panthers to their 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup. 

He's still just 29-years-old. There are plenty of teams out there who would be willing to pay Sam Bennett a shit ton of money to bring his brand of hockey to their organization. If you're a team that lacks a little jam, and needs to toughen up your lineup for playoff hockey? Sam Bennett is your guy. And he's set to become a free agent on July 1st for anybody to get. 

But apparently not anymore…

Obviously nothing is official just yet. I don't think screaming into a microphone while you're blackout drunk at a strip club is a legally binding contract. But clearly the goal for Sam Bennett is to remain in Florida, and I'd imagine the goal for the Panthers is to find a way to hold on to their Conn Smythe winner. It sucks for the rest of the hockey world that arguably the biggest free agent on the market already seems like he's staying put a couple weeks before free agency opens up. But what a way to announce an extension. And what a night for the Florida Panthers at E11even. 

I know we give Panthers fans like Nikki Smokes a bunch of shit for jumping on the bandwagon here. But a guy like Big Ceaz has been grinding it out with this Panthers team forever. It's been great to see him get the recognition from the players he deserves during these celebrations. 

Boys were getting after it last night. You love to see it. Turns out the only thing better than winning the Stanley Cup for the first time is winning it for the 2nd time. 

@JordieBarstool