Value of: Sam Bennett

[ManofSteel55]

1st and a decent prospect, or equivalent in a player who isn't a UFA this summer - especially as the teams inquiring are likely to be teams that the Panthers are not wanting to strengthen for a playoff run, but despite the OP stating what he "doesn't want to hear", I can't imagine the defending champions trading a key player at the deadline, even if he is a UFA this summer.

 

[kerrabria]

If Lundell and Luostarinen were lighting it up, I could see us trading Bennett as a chess move to upgrade the RD.

Verhaeghe - Barkov - Reinhart
Rodrigues - Lundell - Tkachuk
Boqvist - Luostarinen - Samoskevich
Greer - Nosek - Puljujarvi

But neither are playing so well that ditching Bennett early would be worth it.

 

[HabsCode]

If Benny was available for trade for some reason, and he isn't, they would not trade him within the conference.

Feels like an overstatement—Bennett’s a solid player, but not exactly a franchise-altering talent. Do you really think Florida would be that scared of facing him a few times a year?

 

[Connor McConnor]

Florida still has the be the massive favorites to come out of the East. I don't think getting a few futures is worth trading him for, even if it is "efficient asset management".

 

[Chaos2k7]

Feels like an overstatement—Bennett’s a solid player, but not exactly a franchise-altering talent. Do you really think Florida would be that scared of facing him a few times a year?

We are the reigning champs, and are looking to make another deep run this season. He wouldn't be available, but if he was, just ask the fans of the teams that have played against him in the playoffs the last few years. Fear, or respect however you want to phrase it is owed to Benny. He is 100% a game changer in the playoffs.

There isn't a cup contender that wouldn't find a spot for him if they could.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Bennett has his cup. He spends summers in Toronto, so he's not taking a discount to stay in the city of Miami. The market for Bennett will be huge, and many teams will have the cap space to bid, with the cap going up. Every team that gets knocked out of the playoffs will want that physical playoff performer with intangibles.

Bennett is injury prone, and he knows it. He'll be looking for his retirement contract, and it's going to be well north of $7 million.

Players like Bennett always cash in big in free agency, and the contracts always end up looking horrible almost immediately. Bennett seems like the prototypical type of player for that kind of contract. He's bound to slow down physically as he gets older, and his hockey IQ isn't exceptional.

Or, he could take a discount to stay like Reinhart.