Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett landed at eighth on The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn's top 10 worst contracts list in 2025.

On Tuesday, Luszcyszyn ranked Sam Reinhart fourth on his top 10 contracts list. Today, he ranks the Conn Smythe winner at No.8 on his worst contracts list.

The 29-year-old signed an eight-year, $8-million contract following the conclusion of the season. The 2024-25 campaign was likely Bennett's best season of his career, scoring 25 goals and a career-high 51 points in 76 games. His game reached another level in the playoffs, scoring a league-high 15 goals and ranking third in points with 23. The market for Bennett, who was set to become a UFA, was growing quickly and was expected to receive close to or above $9 million on the open market. The Panthers locked him into a contract before July 1 at a reasonable price.

Bennett's value to the Panthers extends beyond just goals and assists. While Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell handle the tough defensive matchups, Bennett is relied upon to capitalize on less challenging offensive opportunities, and he has done so. Bennett is also a pest, playing a physical game that keeps their opponents on their toes.

Sam Bennett discusses amazing Stanley Cup season, from 4 Nations fighting to winning Conn Smythe The summer of Sam is upon us.

"No one who knows puck cares that Sam Bennett is on this list. His presence here is merely a formality, one based entirely on his modest regular-season stats. Big whoop — that’s not what he’s paid for.

No one cares after Bennett won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with Florida. No one cares after Bennett won the Conn Smythe. When it matters most, Bennett is a winner, a big-game player who elevates better than almost anyone else. He may be a $5.5 million regular-season player (a figure based almost entirely on his age), but in the playoffs, he becomes something else and is a lot closer to a $10.5 million player. Consider $8 million splitting the difference.

Most importantly, though, no one cares that Bennett is here within the context of the Florida Panthers. The team is already saving more than enough on Sam Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Anton Lundell, Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad that they can easily afford a luxury contract such as Bennett’s.

In a vacuum, $8 million for Bennett is too much and so too is an eight-year term that will take up most of his 30s. In a vacuum, this deal may not age very well and it’s on this list for that reason (the first 3-4 years are fine).

But we don’t live in a vacuum. We live in a world where Bennett is a key championship piece for a franchise with dynastic hopes. That’s all that matters. Signed by another team, Bennett’s new deal would’ve been incredibly risky. For the Panthers, and the Panthers only, it’s a risk they can easily afford," said Luszcyszyn. 

Just two players appeared on the list after Bennett, those being Cody Ceci (Los Angeles Kings) and Tanner Jeannot (Boston Bruins). Finishing higher on the list were Jonathan Huberdeau (Calgary Flames), Ivan Provorov (Columbus Blue Jackets), Chandler Stephenson (Seattle Kraken), Brady Skej (Nashville Predators), Nicolas Hague (Nashville Predators), Sean Couturier (Philadelphia Flyers) and Ryan Pulock (New York Islanders). 

Bennett can surely live up to his price tag and prove many people wrong if he can continue to improve on the career highs he's set. 

Does The Increased Cap Hit Come With Added Pressure For Panthers’ Sam Bennett? Sam Bennett has never had any issues improving his play in the playoffs, but now, being paid among the premier players in the NHL, a new challenge awaits the 2024-25 Conn Smythe winner.