NHL insider Mike Johnson poses serious questions about viability of $17,700,000 Panthers star as a Maple Leaf

NHL insider Mike Johnson shared concerns about Sam Bennett possibly joining the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday's edition of First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo.

Johnson said Bennett is a strong playoff player and always shows up when it matters most. But he questioned if that alone is enough to justify a big contract.

Bennett is on a $17.7 million deal with the Florida Panthers. His cap hit is $4.425 million per season. That deal ends after the 2024–25 season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. There is talk that he could ask for around $9 million per year on his next deal.

Johnson asked if 20 goals and 46 points in the regular season are enough for that kind of money. Johnson said,

“Is that enough? Is that the kind of production you’re happy with from a guy you might pay $9 million a year? I know the response is often, ‘Well, wait for the playoffs.”

Bennett has delivered in the playoffs for three straight years, and Johnson gave him credit for that.

Still, Johnson reminded listeners that this is the first season Bennett hit 50 points. Johnson even joked,

“Even I had more 50-point seasons than Sam Bennett, and I wasn’t exactly a star.”

He also mentioned Bennett's underlying numbers. According to Johnson, Bennett isn’t creating a lot of offense or showing strong goal differentials. His regular-season play does not always match his playoff performance.

This season, Bennett recorded 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points. That puts him tied for 121st in points across the league. He is tied for 78th in goals. His plus/minus rating is -15, which is also outside the top 150.

Johnson asked what happens in Year 4 of a new deal.

“When he’s 32 and scoring 18 goals,” Johnson said, “are you going to feel good about paying him $9 million a year then?”

His point was that playoff success is valuable, but it may not be enough to justify a high cap hit over several years.

Anthony Stolarz called Sam Bennett collision 'unfortunate,' reflected on strong season with Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz had a strong season with the Maple Leafs, posting a .926 save percentage in 34 games. He helped the Maple Leafs finish first in the Atlantic Division. In Game 1 of the second round, he took an elbow to the head from Sam Bennett.

Stolarz later left the game with a concussion.

“It was just an unfortunate incident,” Stolarz said, according to The Athletic. “(Bennett) caught me in a bad spot, and I just had to go through the steps to get healthy.”

Stolarz missed time but returned as backup in Game 7. He also took a shot off his mask earlier in Game 1 but didn’t feel hurt then. The Maple Leafs managed his recovery carefully throughout the playoffs.