PuckSleuth
9Florida Panthers · Center · Shoots L
Sam Bennett
Age 30 · 6'1" · 193 lb · Born in Holland Landing, CAN
Cap hit
$8M
7.7% of $104M cap
Term
7 yrs
Through 2032-33, then UFA
Clause
None
Surplus value
+$532K
vs. $8.532M market estimate
Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source
2026-27 regular season
GP
2
Goals
0
0.0% shooting
Assists
1
1 primary
Points
1
0.50 per game
TOI/GP
19:59
PP 4:37 · PK 0:00
Plus/minus
0
Hits
10
Blocks 0
PIM
2
Game Score
+0.61
per game
Game log
Last 5 games · NHL API
| Game | G | A | SOG | HIT | BLK | TOI | PP | PK | FO | OZS% | GV | TK | +/- | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 @ SJS · OTL 4-3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 20:49 | 3:39 | 0:00 | 5-5 | 67 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.77 |
| Sep 29 @ CAR · W 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 19:08 | 5:34 | 0:00 | 4-4 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.45 |
| Apr 9 @ OTT · L 5-1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17:44 | 2:00 | 0:00 | 2-1 | 50 | 0 | 0 | -2 | +0.09 |
| Apr 7 @ MTL · OTL 4-3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 20:48 | 3:45 | 0:55 | 10-12 | 57 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +0.50 |
| Apr 5 @ PIT · L 5-2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 21:28 | 9:14 | 1:08 | 7-8 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.07 |
GS = our Game Score (credit for everything he did; goals and assists count most). FO = faceoffs won-lost. OZS% = share of his 5v5 offensive and defensive zone faceoff starts that were in the offensive zone. GV/TK = giveaways/takeaways.
Advanced metrics
5v5 unless noted · 2025-26 · 1,005 min · percentile vs. NHL forwards
61st percentile
57th percentile
49th percentile
83rd percentile
76th percentile
69th percentile
65th percentile
85th percentile
63rd percentile
91st percentile
37th percentile
60th percentile
63rd percentile
68th percentile
517 won · 570 lost (all strengths)
xGF% is his team's share of 5v5 expected goals while he was on the ice, from our own expected goals model; HDCF% counts only high-danger chances (xG of 0.15 or more). IPP is the share of his team's 5v5 goals while he was on the ice that he scored or assisted on. Relative stats compare him with his team when he was off the ice. Goals above expected and ixG/60 use his own shots at all strengths. PDO and OZS% describe luck and deployment, so their bars are grey.
Play styleScoring center
Trait percentiles vs. NHL centers · 2025-26
Bennett is a high-volume shooter with solid passing ability who generates looks from dangerous areas in the slot. His defensive impact lags well behind his offensive contributions, and he doesn't impose physicality or protect the puck effectively.
- Shooting volume
- 94
- Playmaking
- 76
- Zone entries(est.)
- 46
- Forechecking
- 60
- Physicality
- 47
- Defensive impact
- 6
- Puck management
- 37
- Speed
- 49
Where he shoots from
Slot 49% · Mid-range 37% · Perimeter 14%(311 unblocked shots)
Strengths
- Elite shot volume at the 94th percentile, consistently creating danger
- Strong playmaking at 76th percentile with nearly a point per game
- 49% of shots from the slot, showing dangerous positioning
Watch-outs
- Defensive impact at just 6th percentile, offering little protection
- Puck management in 37th percentile, losing possession frequently
- Below-average rush chances and physicality limit all-around play
Similar style: Morgan Geekie (BOS), Carter Verhaeghe (FLA)
Built from play-by-play, shift data, and NHL EDGE tracking. Zone entries is an estimate (rush chances while he is on the ice) until tracking data is added.
Career stats
From the NHL's player records
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PPG | PPP | SHG | GWG | SOG | S% | TOI | FO% | GS/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | Calgary Flames | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 16:00 | 16.7 | — |
| 2015-16 | Calgary Flames | 77 | 18 | 18 | 36 | -11 | 37 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 136 | 13.2 | 15:09 | 46.1 | — |
| 2016-17 | Calgary Flames | 81 | 13 | 13 | 26 | -16 | 75 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 10.7 | 14:59 | 46.1 | — |
| 2017-18 | Calgary Flames | 82 | 11 | 15 | 26 | -18 | 59 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 157 | 7.0 | 14:24 | 54.3 | — |
| 2018-19 | Calgary Flames | 71 | 13 | 14 | 27 | -6 | 93 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 115 | 11.3 | 13:17 | 55.6 | — |
| 2019-20 | Calgary Flames | 52 | 8 | 4 | 12 | -1 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 9.8 | 12:31 | 51.7 | — |
| 2020-21 | Calgary Flames | 38 | 4 | 8 | 12 | -14 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 6.0 | 13:28 | 48.6 | — |
| 2020-21 | Florida Panthers | 10 | 6 | 9 | 15 | +12 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 15.4 | 18:04 | 46.2 | — |
| 2021-22 | Florida Panthers | 71 | 28 | 21 | 49 | +27 | 74 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 241 | 11.6 | 16:57 | 46.9 | — |
| 2022-23 | Florida Panthers | 63 | 16 | 24 | 40 | +5 | 54 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 193 | 8.3 | 17:24 | 47.0 | +0.80 |
| 2023-24 | Florida Panthers | 69 | 20 | 21 | 41 | +17 | 100 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 171 | 11.7 | 16:37 | 45.5 | +0.76 |
| 2024-25 | Florida Panthers | 76 | 25 | 26 | 51 | -15 | 90 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 241 | 10.4 | 17:27 | 46.2 | +0.78 |
| 2025-26 | Florida Panthers | 76 | 26 | 32 | 58 | -10 | 82 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 201 | 12.9 | 18:30 | 47.6 | +0.78 |
| 2026-27 | Florida Panthers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 19:59 | 50.0 | +0.61 |
| Career | 13 seasons | 769 | 188 | 207 | 395 | -31 | 754 | 39 | 80 | 0 | 30 | 1768 | 10.6 | 15:43 | — |
Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GS/GP is our Game Score per game.
Latest news
Headlines from news outlets and team blogs
- Practice: Bennett 9/30/26
NHL.com · Sep 30
- Bennett on Panthers' Win in Raleigh and Celebrini's Olympic Breakout
Yahoo Sports · Sep 30
Sentiment & chatter
Fans
—
Beat writers
—
Media
—
Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.
Recent Game Scores
Last 10 games · goals above average
Average +0.60 per game over these 10.
Where his Game Score comes from
+0.78 per game
2025-26 · 76 GP
Season total +59.1, or +0.78 per game.
- Scoring
- +45.8
- Shooting
- +15.1
- 5-on-5 goals
- +0.8
- Defense
- -0.9
- Penalty kill
- +0.4
- Physical play
- +3.9
- Puck battles
- -2.4
- Penalties
- -3.0
- Faceoffs
- -0.5
Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.
Skating · NHL EDGE
2026-27, as of Oct 2
- Top speed
- 20.7 mph
- 50th pct
- 20+ mph bursts
- 4
- Hardest shot
- 71.3 mph
- 55th pct
- Distance
- 3.6 mi
- OZ time
- 41.0%
- 48th pct
- DZ time
- 40.0%
Usage
Last game: @ SJS, Oct 1
Line 1 with Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk (11:12 together at 5-on-5) · PP2
From the NHL's shift chart.
Age curve
At 30: 84% of peak
NHL forwards · production index
At 30, forwards typically produce 84% of their peak (age 24). His contract runs through age 36, when the typical level is 49%.
From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.
Contract by season
7 seasons left
| Season | Team | Cap hit | % of cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | FLA | $8M | 7.7% |
| 2027-28 | FLA | $8M | 7.0% |
| 2028-29 | FLA | $8M | — |
| 2029-30 | FLA | $8M | — |
| 2030-31 | FLA | $8M | — |
| 2031-32 | FLA | $8M | — |
| 2032-33 | FLA | $8M | — |
UFA after 2032-33. $56M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).