Rumor: Bennett contract AAV could eclipse $10M?

[NVious]

7M -7.5m Is high as he should get 9-10 m is insane lol

Ultimately GMs have perverse incentives as at best they can think in 2-4 year blocks and their incentive is to swing for the fences.

Bennet shouldn't be brought in to take a team to the playoffs because his season production has been merely ok, but his playoff stats are indeed really damn good, so he'd probably work better on a team already in the playoffs at least. Then again if it's Bennet or cap space that won't be used, it's really hard for that gm who is thinking more short term not to use that cap space considering Bennet is obviously going to make the team better, even if it's at a high cost.

He's amazing value in the 6-7 range, ok value in the 7-8 range, but questionable beyond that.

I guess it comes down to talent evaluation and how you think Bennet stacks up vs 2 5 mill guys or 3 3.33 mill guys, but even vs Marner it's not all that clear who is better at 14 for him vs 10 for Bennet.

Bennet goes from a 20/25 guy in the season to a 30/30 guy in the playoffs with a physical edge.
Mitch goes from a 30/70 guy in the season to a 15/55 guy in the playoffs with good defensive play.

He could age badly, but he has good upside in the playoffs as well

 

[RiverbottomChuck]

It's a crazy number for him but I'd rather my team give Bennett 10m then Marner 14m

 

[Breakers]

I think 2 of Bennett, Marchand, and Ekblad stay in Florida.

Ekblad would have to comfortable taking a considerable haircut for his final contract in the NHL then

 

[Rabid Ranger]

If this is the case, the Panthers will and should move on. That's what smart teams do.

 

[blankall]

Playoff Bennett was a meme in Calgary as well. The guy knows how to up the intensity in the playoffs. Was our best player one series but then somehow we put him back in the bottom 6 the next year.

Bennett was big on the playoffs for Calgary. A major issue with him is that he cannot turn it off easily. He will take dumb penalties at inopportune times. This doesn't show up on the highlight reels.

If Toronto hated Kadri, wait until they see Bennett.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I can definitely see a 10 x 3 contract.

Lets say his goal is 60 million over 8 years
Thats a 7.5 million cap hit.
The first 3 years at 10 - back 5 years at 6 million

31 year old Bennett who plays Center with a cap at 113+ definitely could be worth 6 million.

I think the Habs would easily take him at 10M for 2 years.

Even a team like the Leafs if they let Marner and Tavares walk

 

[samsagat]

For sure, Leafs are gone be all in for him..

I don't know if they'll be ready to give him 10 mil but surely they're in win now mode and don't really care if 5-7 years from now, the contract will be an anchor...

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Bennett is an elite support player, a good #2C. He would be a massive disappointment as a teams top guy or one of them.

 

[Oddbob]

If Peter Chiarelli gets rehired then I could see it. 8 mil a season is too much in my opinion. 40 pt average for his career, even with his physicality does not make him an 8 mil player in my opinion. Guys that play his style also almost always age very fast in their early 30s. I think he is definitely a guy that by 32-33, people will not want on their team at whatever overdone contract he gets. I like the edge he plays with, but he is a 40 pt player with great physicality to his game, but not a lot else. I also think he is the kind of guy that blends well with a really talented team like Florida, but if he goes somewhere not as deep the expectations for him to produce more pts will be higher.

 

[wunderpanda]

i could see bennett staying in florida for 7m a year. its still a raise to what verhage makes. they can replace sturm (2m) at half the cost, replace vanecek (3.4m) for a third of his contract and theres the 2m for bennett.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

You get 50 points out of him during regular season

Normally that would be max 7M player, taking the cap going up into account

10M is crazy crazy money or anything close to it, it will just turn fans against him and he will be labeled the same way as Seabrook or Vlasic once they got paid

His 82 game pace as a Panther is 27 goals 56 points with minimal time on their top PP unit. He's easily a 60-70 point play driving 2 way center when given PP1 deployments, and he brings so much intangible value beyond just points. He's a 2A / 1B center.

That's easily an $8M player. When you factor in his playoff value you can see why teams are willing to pay more.

That said, I do think there is risk with his play style not aging well. But if you're a team with a clear 3-5 year window, I think you're okay taking that risk and then just letting him stick around as a veteran presence during the rebuilding years.

Ironically, a team like Carolina would be a great fit for him.

 

[Kojo]

minimal time on their top PP unit. He's easily a 60-70 point play driving 2 way center when given PP1 deployments, and he brings so much intangible value beyond just points. He's a 2A / 1B center.

Why doesn't he play on the PP1? Is it because he stinks on the PP?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Why doesn't he play on the PP1? Is it because he stinks on the PP?

Not at all, Florida is just loaded. He was great on PP1 before Reinhart took his spot.

He's great on entries and around is excellent net front guy.

 

[Kojo]

Not at all, Florida is just loaded. He was great on PP1 before Reinhart took his spot.

He's great on entries and around is excellent net front guy.

Just checked the stats for fun and this Bennett guy gets scored a lot against on the PP. 7 goals against this year and only 11 pts on the PP?

I would'nt give this guy more than 6m AAV.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Just checked the stats for fun and this Bennett guy gets scored a lot against on the PP. 7 goals against this year and only 11 pts on the PP?

I would'nt give this guy more than 6m AAV.

Hard to argue with someone who "just checked the stats".

There's a reason he was on Team Canada.

 

[Kojo]

Hard to argue with someone who "just checked the stats".

There's a reason he was on Team Canada.

I'm just arguing about the price, I know he's a good player.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I'm just arguing about the price, I know he's a good player.

Obviously you don't, considering wouldn't pay him more than 6M. With the current cap climate, that's incredibly low for a player with his impact.

 

[Kojo]

Obviously you don't, considering wouldn't pay him more than 6M. With the current cap climate, that's incredibly low for a player with his impact.

He's going to be 29 years old in 24 days from now. Have fun paying him a king's ransom while he's on the decline.

 

[1865]

Contracts really ought to be for a % of the cap total. This way we'll stop getting such over-reactions whenever the salaries go up with the cap.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He's going to be 29 years old soon. Have fun paying him a king's ransom while he's on the decline.

If I'm a team with a 3-5 year window, I don't care too much about what he'll be like after 33-35. He's a big game player, proven winner who drags his team into the fight.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

10m for a 40 points player having hot seasons with extremely good team


If it doesn't scream red flag i don't know what is.

Also people wanting to spend 10m on Bennett but not 14m on Marner are completely out of touch

WHich one is obvious a guy that started producing in the last 3 years still 40 points a season

Or a guy ppg+ in regular season and almost PPg in the playoffs but somehow because he's playing on that cursed ass team the leafs are , he's not worth it .

Marner would be playing for Seattle instead and nobody would have this conversation.

Im 100% sure if Marner signs to another playoffs team he will do well .

Marner worst season is better than Bennet best season

'but he can play in playoffs."
Imagine paying this guy 10m because he can hit people in the playoffs lmao

Swap Marner for Bennett and i guarantee you Leafs are still gonna get clapped and Florida will end up in at least conference finals.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Remember Bobby Holik got 5 x 9.5 million like 20 years ago. Anything is possible if you dream big!

And FYI, I am a huge Holik fan and missed him greatly. GMs will overpay for those rare savage animals like Holik and Bennet.

Glen Sather is an idiot. Also this was before the cap and they bought him out soon after. That wouldn’t be the right example in the cap era.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Ekblad would have to comfortable taking a considerable haircut for his final contract in the NHL

Lou Lamoriello's HF account exposed, ladies and gents!

 

[tomd]

He's going to be 29 years old in 24 days from now. Have fun paying him a king's ransom while he's on the decline.

I think that sentence applies to any premium UFA signed this summer.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If I'm a team with a 3-5 year window, I don't care too much about what he'll be like after 33-35. He's a big game player, proven winner who drags his team into the fight.

This is the best case scenario IMO. He goes to a playoff underperformer and drags them to a Cup in the next year or 2.

Otherwise, he’ll be 29, with a ton of mileage the last 3 years, might well be about to hoist another Cup in a career year on a stacked roster and put up a career high 51 pts in a contract year.

Will the next team get a regressing, not hungry anymore 2x Cup winner or something better? $10mil per is an insane notion IMO.