Can Florida Panthers Bring Back Top Free Agents? Zito Says Yes

The Florida Panthers have a lot to deal with when it comes to getting back to the business of hockey which include new deals for a couple of their pending free agents.

On Tuesday night, general manager Bill Zito said all of that could wait a day or two after the team won the Stanley Cup for the second straight year.

The NHL’s free agency market opens July 1, so, Zito and the Panthers certainly have a bit of time to get to work.

Florida’s biggest priority is getting a new contract for center Sam Bennett. Then the Panthers have to deal with Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, and Nate Schmidt.

Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL’s postseason MVP, is in the final year of a four-year contract he signed in 2021 that paid him $4.425 million annually.

He will be getting a raise.

The question is, how much?

Expect something in the $7.5-8 million range from the Panthers.

Bennett would almost assuredly get more on the open market on a team with much more cap space — at least double what he is making now ($9 million per) — but he wants to remain in South Florida and stay with the Panthers.

If Bennett stick around, he would likely be the sixth player Florida has signed to the maximum eight-year deal since Zito took over in 2020.

Bennett seems to like the idea.

Wednesday, he and his dad cheered along with fans at the Elbo Room who chanted ‘Eight More Years!’ in his direction.

The Panthers are the only team which can offer the extra contract year.

Last night at the team party at E11even in Miami, Bennett got on stage and told the crowd “I ain’t [you know] leaving!” The DJ answered with ‘We are the champions.’

Matthew Tkachuk technically signed his eight-year, $76-million contract with the Calgary Flames before being traded to Florida.

Sergei Bobrovsky and Sasha Barkov are the two highest-paid Panthers with annual salaries of $10 million. Barkov’s deal runs for another five seasons; Bobrovsky’s runs through the coming one.

Last summer, Sam Reinhart was Florida’s biggest-name potential free agent, only he signed a new eight-year, $69-million deal with the Panthers the night before the market opened.

Carter Verhaeghe signed an eight-year, $56-million deal on Opening Night.

According to PuckPedia, the Panthers are $19 million under the 2025-26 salary cap, so they may only be able to sign a couple of their biggest names depending on what both sides want to accomplish.

Ekblad, 29, is at the end of an eight-year deal worth $7.5 million annually and would likely would get a raise if he hit the open market in the coming weeks.

That kind of money, however, likely will not come from the Panthers.

With Gus Forsling signed for $5.75 million and the Panthers paying $7 million of Seth Jones’ annual $9.5 million salary, Ekblad is reportedly being asked to take something between those two as we have speculated all year.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,’’ Ekblad said Tuesday night, “and I’m not much in control of that at the moment.To live in the moment right now is most important for me, and when the time comes, I’m sure those tough conversations will be had.”

He certainly does not want to go anywhere.

There is a growing thought he will not be.

“He’s going to be a Panther for life,’’ Forsling said Tuesday night. “I really hope so, and I believe so. I love playing with him.’’

With only $19 million to spend, the Panthers cannot afford much more than $14 million for a combination of Bennett and Ekblad.

Especially if they want to sign Marchand.

And they do.

Tuesday night while the celebration raged on behind him, Zito told TSN “I think we can bring them all back.’’

Wednesday, he was on the Pat McAfee Show and expounded on why he thinks he can pull off the free agent trifecta.

“There’s going to be some poor soul who we’re going to ask to move down here,’’ Zito said, “get a big house on Las Olas, take a golf cart to work in flip flops, and, you might have to play with Tkachuk, or Barkov, or Forsling. I know, it’s a tough ask.’’

Zito later explained the Florida philosophy that, yes, due to salary cap constraints, the Panthers cannot pay the largest amount of money to players if they want to keep the best players on their team.

Basically: Stay in Florida, get better, have a good time, and win.

“We’re going to spend to the cap. The Viola family, ownership has empowered us to try to do everything we can to have the best team we can,’’ Zito said. “We’re going to spend it all. It’s just trying to keep everyone together and have a meaningful team. When players come here, we want to give them other good players and hopefully they appreciate that.’’

Whether Zito can pull this all off without making a trade to free up some cap space may be unlikely.

Florida has spots to fill throughout the roster and signing those three players will drink up most of what the team has under the cap.

On defense, Florida only has five signed for next season; Ekblad would make six.

Florida also has 10 forwards which would be 12 with Bennett and Marchand; Mackie Samoskevich also needs a new contract as a restricted free agent.

Tomas Nosek, Florida’s fourth line center, said he hopes to return as well.

The Panthers also need to sign a backup goalie.

If Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand return, Schmidt may be playing elsewhere because there just will not be enough money remaining. Again, barring any trade.

Schmidt has played his way back from being bought out by Winnipeg last summer and taking a ‘prove it’ deal with the Panthers to proving it with the Panthers. He will be in demand as a free agent.

“He’s playing as well as he did with the Capitals,” Paul Maurice said of Schmidt.

Added Zito: “If you look at the people who have come to our team, either trade or free agency, almost to a man, they had the best career years with us. That’s the room; it’s players making other players better, and that’s coaches making other players better and using them to their strength.’’

The money is tight, at least for one more season.

Next season’s salary cap will be $95.5 million but go up to $104 million in 2026-27.

The Panthers will have to squeeze the pennies this year. Perhaps players take shorter deals now with loose assurances longer and bigger ones can come later when things loosen up next summer.

Then, Bobrovsky and Niko Mikkola will need a new deals.

The Panthers will worry about those later.

2025 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

FLORIDA PANTHERS

UP NEXT

• 2025 Stanley Cup Championship Parade/Rally: Sunday, Fort Lauderdale Beach; noon
• 2025 NHL Draft: June 27-28, Los Angeles (Panthers have six picks in Rounds 4-7)
• Start of NHL Free Agency: July 1
• Panthers Development Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early July
• Panthers Rookie Camp, Fort Lauderdale IcePlex: Early September
• Prospect Showcase hosted by Tampa Bay Lightning: Early September
• Training Camp: Mid-September
• Exhibition Games: Late September
• Opening Night: Oct 7-9 (opponent, time, date TBA)