George Richards Sam Bennett: Contract Negotiations

[Chaos2k7]

I think Bennett is getting $7.5M or he walks and gets that on the open market. I get Verhaeghe signed for $7M and has better counting stats, but Bennett is widely considered to have other impacts that are highly valued.

Bennett waa picked for Team Canada instead of Verhaeghe which I think should tell us something about how he's valued across the league right now. There will be a LOT of interest for him. Add the rising cap and he's in a really strong negotiating position.

He isnt worth 7.5, Lundell will be ahead of him on the depth chart soon.

 

[Gentle Man]

Bennett is an insane forechecker.

3rd is wild

 

[pantherbot]

I mean....Canada already has loads of goal scoring. Scheifele for example has significantly better stats than Bennett or Verhaeghe, or Marchand etc etc. and he wasnt picked.

Bennett was picked because because of physicality...I don't think it inflates his value at all. It's just a different element.


I think the fact Benny plays with Chucky probably gave him the edge. He is being dressed specifically for tomorrow.

But that's kind of my point... Bennett isn't picked because of his counting stats, its for his physicality which has value. I'm not saying it inflates his value, that is part of his value proposition and, rightly or wrongly, there will be a dollar value assigned to it that pushes up his contract AAV vs. what his counting stats will show.

Bennett's closest comparable will be Wilson, who was given $6.5M x 7 years starting during his age 30 season when the cap was flat. For Bennett, the cap will be 10% higher in year one, it's already projected to rise 10% for the next two seasons, and the contract starts during age 29.

He isnt worth 7.5, Lundell will be ahead of him on the depth chart soon.

Agree that Lundell is trending up and Bennett likely down in the next couple years, but they're in different times of their respective careers. Bennett is looking for a payday and Lundell still has many high-earnings years ahead of him. Bennett also more "proven" while Lundell was still just a <0.5 PPG 3rd liner with potential when he signed.

I'm not saying yet if I think we should sign him for $7.5M, still on the fence about it even as I think he's integral to our team, but I think that's what it'll take to get him signed.

 

[Dr Beinfest]

I find it interesting everyone is willing to re-sign Bennett but a good portion of fans aren't even willing to take Ekblad at a low price.

Look, Bennett is f***ing awesome, and his type of game is hard to find. He was also far more valuable than Ekblad last season, and arguably in 2022. But he's almost as injury prone, plays a far more physically taxing game, and doesn't exactly have the high level hockey sense to make me think his game will age particularly well..

Regardless, I trust Zito with whatever he does.

Don’t you think you’re speaking it out here accidentally? Bennett plays a physically taxing hockey game. Ekblad doesn’t. Who spends more time injured? I’d bet it’s Ekblad. I think most people want him back cheap. Bennett is more valuable though.

 

[Felidae]

Don’t you think you’re speaking it out here accidentally? Bennett plays a physically taxing hockey game. Ekblad doesn’t. Who spends more time injured? I’d bet it’s Ekblad. I think most people want him back cheap. Bennett is more valuable though.

Sure but my point was moreso both likely won't age all that well. Not counting the last few games of 2020, Bennett since joining the club has played 258 games. In that same timespan Ekblad has played 228.


Also, honestly not sure if Bennett is more "valuable". I do think he's been better than Ekblad most years since joining, but it will be harder to find a 1st pairing level dman to replace ekblad than it will be to find a 2C to replace Bennett. Hell, Lundell is on his way there.

 

[HuGort]

Sure but my point was moreso both likely won't age all that well. Not counting the last few games of 2020, Bennett since joining the club has played 258 games. In that same timespan Ekblad has played 228.


Also, honestly not sure if Bennett is more "valuable". I do think he's been better than Ekblad most years since joining, but it will be harder to find a 1st pairing level dman to replace ekblad than it will be to find a 2C to replace Bennett. Hell, Lundell is on his way there.

After four nations Bennett will hit jackpot in UFA

 

[Chaos2k7]

After four nations Bennett will hit jackpot in UFA

Benny didn't have some eye opening performance, and three games won't change much IMO, he will be highly sought after sure, but it's not like he is some 8 or 9 million dollar forward now.

I expect Benny will be loyal to the team that believed in him, and stay.

 

[iam76]

our window is now.. lets pay da man his money

 

[ChopCat]

Sounds less than promising Sam Bennett Extension Talks Broke Down; 2 Leading Suitors in Free Agency

 

[BabyBennettov]

Sounds less than promising Sam Bennett Extension Talks Broke Down; 2 Leading Suitors in Free Agency

Leafs rooting insiders telling us Cats can’t get it done and those spineless franchises Leafs/Habs will be very interested, could/will get it done.

Thanks for the big laugh today.

 

[ChopCat]

Leafs rooting insiders telling us Cats can’t get it done and those spineless franchises Leafs/Habs will be very interested, could/will get it done.

Thanks for the big laugh today.

So, since it was announced in early October that Swaggy was extended and then soon after that negotiations with Benny would be starting...we're almost five months later now and no conclusion to the negotiations...it's laughable that they may not get done at all? That's your position?

Just because I don't want something to be true doesn't make it automatically untrue. Maybe the deal still gets done but the more time elapses points to the opposite outcome.

 

[ShootIt]

So, since it was announced in early October that Swaggy was extended and then soon after that negotiations with Benny would be starting...we're almost five months later now and no conclusion to the negotiations...it's laughable that they may not get done at all? That's your position?

Just because I don't want something to be true doesn't make it automatically untrue. Maybe the deal still gets done but the more time elapses points to the opposite outcome.

Before the start of the 24-25 season there was talk in late June that Carter and the Panthers were working on an extension.
Took ~4 months to get it done.

Reino was signed the last hours before FA began. He even missed the cup celebrations for a wedding.

Now, I'm not saying it's guaranteed Bennett will re-sign, but I don't think Zito will let Bennett leave unless San just wants to move on. Time will tell. Haven't seen much on this from the Beat writers, so curious if they've just shelved talks till June?

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

It’s been radio silent for Bennett and Ekblad, I imagine both parties now want to wait until the offseason. Doesn’t give us a lot of time though if we are in another deep playoff run.

 

[I am not exposed]

It’s been radio silent for Bennett and Ekblad, I imagine both parties now want to wait until the offseason. Doesn’t give us a lot of time though if we are in another deep playoff run.

Nice problem to have.

 

[KW]

A critical part of a team’s chance of success in the salary cap NHL are the players’ salary levels. Paying too much for anyone is a recipe for failure. $18M for McD, $14M for Drai, $13M for Matthews are prime examples that handicap a team.

If Benny is asking for over $8M and 7 or 8 years, he’s not worth it.

If Ek is asking for over $7M and 7 or 8 years, he’s not worth it.

Zito has made the Panthers enough of a destination that even those two are replaceable if their demands are unreasonable.

 

[StrangeVision]

Just overpay him a bit if that's what it takes. This is a situation where the stats on a sheet of paper cannot encompass all of a player's contributions on the ice. It's not like he's a 36 year old veteran past his prime, dude's just 28 and has plenty of years to go.

The Cup window is not going to last forever, if at the end of it we have an overpaid Bennett (which won't really matter unless the cap suddenly stops going up because of some sort of economic calamity (...alrighty, maybe not that outlandish these days)), it's really not a big deal. He provides a quality the team needs now while our Cup window is open. Maybe there's another player in the league who can provide what he does, and maybe it's worth the gamble trying to get them and letting Bennett go, but we know for certain how Bennett can contribute to this team winning the Cup.

 

[BabyBennettov]

So, since it was announced in early October that Swaggy was extended and then soon after that negotiations with Benny would be starting...we're almost five months later now and no conclusion to the negotiations...it's laughable that they may not get done at all? That's your position?

Just because I don't want something to be true doesn't make it automatically untrue. Maybe the deal still gets done but the more time elapses points to the opposite outcome.

Those same insiders said the same thing about Reinhart no ? Or atleast the situation went even further than what we’re seeing for Benny…

No, I laughed at the idea that Canadians insiders said Bennett won’t sign and their clubs should be looking at signing him because they can and they will…

I’m not worried. Benny is having a career-year and he has every right to wait until the end before signing anything… He even has earned the right to go to FA.

Also, maybe you’re new… But there aren’t a lot of websites with « hockey rumors » in their url that are believable… They are more about speculations and throwing anything at the wall and see what sticks.

But as I’ve said, I read all those articles on Reinho last year stating the same like « Panthers can’t sign him and won’t… Samson wants to go to the West Coast because he’s from BC… etc… » and look how it ended.

Only time will tell… You shouldn’t read too much into those articles IMO.

 

[zeroG]

Sounds less than promising Sam Bennett Extension Talks Broke Down; 2 Leading Suitors in Free Agency

i don't think anyone (incl zito) would blame bennett's camp for saying "hold on, here - i need to reconsider my worth in light of 4 nations".

maybe he still takes a team-friendly deal but milks it for a little more.

there's a link in that article to a laroque proposal for MTL to offer 7Mx7 is that reasonable? matchable with discount? 6.25Mx7? or maybe a max 6Mx8?

 

[Gentle Man]

I will say this about Benny.

His regular seasons have never been anything other than solid. Not overly impressive or "memorable" outside a few moments.

But since he arrived, he has been the only player that has gotten better when the post season started. I cant even say that about Barkov except the last 2 years, with the cup run being his biggest step forward.

Tkachuk's first playoff run with us was something to behold. Last April though, outside the Tampa series I felt he was just ordinary. He was pretty much the regular season version outside of maybe being more physical. Benny has always been better than his regular season version every playoff run.

That in itself is hard to let go.

 

[ChopCat]

I will say this about Benny.

His regular seasons have never been anything other than solid. Not overly impressive or "memorable" outside a few moments.

But since he arrived, he has been the only player that has gotten better when the post season started. I cant even say that about Barkov except the last 2 years, with the cup run being his biggest step forward.

Tkachuk's first playoff run with us was something to behold. Last April though, outside the Tampa series I felt he was just ordinary. He was pretty much the regular season version outside of maybe being more physical. Benny has always been better than his regular season version every playoff run.

That in itself is hard to let go.

I'd put 23 in that category as well. Kid is nails on the big stage.

 

[ChopCat]

Those same insiders said the same thing about Reinhart no ? Or atleast the situation went even further than what we’re seeing for Benny…

No, I laughed at the idea that Canadians insiders said Bennett won’t sign and their clubs should be looking at signing him because they can and they will…

I’m not worried. Benny is having a career-year and he has every right to wait until the end before signing anything… He even has earned the right to go to FA.

Also, maybe you’re new… But there aren’t a lot of websites with « hockey rumors » in their url that are believable… They are more about speculations and throwing anything at the wall and see what sticks.

But as I’ve said, I read all those articles on Reinho last year stating the same like « Panthers can’t sign him and won’t… Samson wants to go to the West Coast because he’s from BC… etc… » and look how it ended.

Only time will tell… You shouldn’t read too much into those articles IMO.

To be clear I'm saying what I think happens not what I want to happen.

Those sites have rumors in their name for a reason, but it's hardly an unreasonable conclusion.

I don't recall if Reino had a declared "start of talks" but he repeatedly said he wanted to stay and those talks still went to the 11th hour. This just feels different.

I think we can retain him I just really don't want to overpay over the term of the deal and have to shortchange another area of the team. It seems like his demands creep into that territory and that's why we're still posting in this thread.