Sam Bennett's next team and contract unveiled; per Elliotte Friedman

Sam Bennett has had another successful season in Florida. This season with the Panthers, he's scored 51 points (25 goals and 26 assists) in 76 games.

He's added a Four Nations Face-Off championship to his name, the first of many to come. As a premier two-way winger, the Panthers will have to find a way to keep him in their clutches.

He's a pending UFA, and his contract paying him an AAV of $4.425 million will be expiring.

GM Bill Zito will have to pull a richer contract out of the team's $19 million in cap space.

NHL Inside Elliotte Friedman believes that Sam Bennett will indeed stick around Florida. But he may have to take a team-friendly deal in order to stick around in Sunrise.

Now that the team is a better team and have won one Stanley Cup, re-signing Bennett shouldn't be an issue right?

Well, Bennett's next contract could be upwards of $7 million AAV, over 8 years. But there's been no progress to finalize a contract. This shouldn't be a hard sell for Bennett to take $2 million less in order to sign in a place he loves.

The Panthers and Sam Bennett need to figure out term and money if they're to keep this winning roster intact.

It could come sooner than we expect, but given the team is in the midst of an Eastern Conference battle, it may come after the season ends, with another Stanley Cup in the cat's paws yet again.