Sam Bennett could have gone to free agency and picked his landing spot, plus probably could have signed for much more money than the Florida Panthers were able to offer.

Bennett - who led the NHL with 15 goals in this year's playoffs and became the first Panthers player ever to score that many in a single postseason - is staying with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Sam Bennett on an eight-year contract extension.