The Florida Panthers didn’t miss Matthew Tkachuk during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Why? Because Sam Bennett was there on the power play, scoring two goals that made all the difference in his team’s 3-2 victory against their potential playoff opponents. Because that’s what Sam Bennett does—he makes a difference. He has been making it throughout his career with the Panthers, be it with clutch performances in the postseason or with his ability to get under the skin of his opponents. But with his contract with the team coming to an end soon, could he take his services elsewhere?

NHL insider, Elliotte Friedman joined Ron MacLean for Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines to discuss the negotiations between the Panthers’ management and the Canadian center. “The word in the press box Thursday night as Florida played in Toronto was that talks have resumed between Bennett and the Panthers,” he said. “Again, I don’t want to handicap it, don’t want to say one way or the other, but they are trying, and it’s been a very good marriage between player and team,” Friedman revealed, refusing to call it. With suspense building and Bennett set to hit free agency soon, the concern is whether the Panthers can keep him on the team. Because it’s not going to be easy.

Well, for starters, Bennett is having one of the best seasons of his life. After having helped Canada lift the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy and being on track for a career-best 28 goals, the Stanley Cup winner’s ask is going to be far north of his current $4.4 million AAV. Not to mention that he would want a long-term commitment now that he is 29.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have already locked in some of their key players to big long-term contracts. Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov stand at $10 million each with Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart earning upwards of 9 and 8 million respectively. And Verhaeghe? His $7 million AAV will come into effect next season! So Sportsnet’s Mike Amato thinks that even with a cap increase, it could be a big challenge to squeeze Bennett’s expected $6-7 million per season deal this time.

Moreover, it’s not like Bennett is the only pending UFA that the Panthers have to think about. They also have defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who is suspended at the moment and, according to Amato’s February report, could become a bigger priority considering the Panthers’ lack of depth in defense. So it wouldn’t be the most unexpected thing in the world if Bennett chooses to test the waters alongside his countryman and top pending UFA Mitch Marner who has also kept the Maple Leafs hanging.

But while Bennett’s extension remains uncertain, Florida just locked down another one of its core players recently.

Jesper Boqvist pens a deal amid Sam Bennett uncertainty

“J-Bo for two mo,'” read the Florida Panthers’ X update on March 4. When the Boston Bruins didn’t offer Jesper Boqvist an extension after last season, the Panthers came calling with a $775,000 offer on the table. And boy, did he make the opportunity count. Coming off a quiet 6-goal season with the Bruins, the Swede is already playing the best season of his NHL career with 12 goals and 11 assists in 64 games. And guess what? 11 of those goals came in even-strength situations, while three of them were game-winners. No wonder the Panthers didn’t waste any time in making sure that he stuck around.

They gave him a two-year extension through the 2026-27 seasons and a major hike with a $1.5 million contract. Talk about being rewarded for racking up the numbers. “Jesper has proven to be a highly competitive and dynamic forward who can be used in all situations,” said the Panthers GM Bill Zito. “He fits seamlessly with our group, and we are excited to have him continue his career with the Florida Panthers,” he added.

With Boqvist extending his stay, and a potential top-6 forward in Anton Lundell waiting to make an impact, it will be interesting to see how far the Panthers will go to retain Sam Bennett. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.