The Calgary Flames have signed Sam Bennett to a two-year, $5.1 million contract, avoiding arbitration with the 23-year-old center.
Bennett, who has spent all four of his NHL seasons with the Flames after they selected him fourth overall in the 2014 draft, became a restricted free agent this summer and was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 27. His new contract, announced Wednesday by the club, means the sides were able to come to an agreement without the need for mediation.
The Holland Landing, Ont., native has become a mainstay in Calgary after appearing in just one game for the Flames in the 2014-15 season. Bennett racked up 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in his first full NHL season (2015-16) and has played in at least 71 regular-season games in each of his four full campaigns with the team. Last season, he tallied 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists).
MORE: Complete list of RFAs who have filed for arbitration
While Bennett hasn't matched his output from the 2015-16 season, the Flames still see potential in the former Kingston Frontenacs star, who was expected to make an impact on offense out of the draft. Bennett has become a player that Calgary general manager Brad Treliving appreciates for filling a "significant niche."
“Probably, the best way to put it is I see a maturity," Treliving said of Bennett earlier this month, as quoted by Postmedia's Kristen Anderson, "which a lot of players go through. Everybody has these expectations and the player feels pressured a lot of times from the outside expectations. Ours are: We want him to be a guy that can help us win. That doesn’t mean you have to be a high scorer. It’s being a guy who can be a real competitive player, a guy that can play different roles, that can move up and down the lineup.
"His acceptance of what makes him successful at this level, to me, is the biggest step he’s taken."
Even though Bennett's role has changed since he joined the Flames as a rookie, the fifth-year player still sees himself as a top-6 forward, telling Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson that he has "tons to prove."
Just chatted with #Flames LW Sam Bennett, who is hell-bent on earning a top-six forward role: “I think that at a young age, everybody wants to be the next superstar. But sometimes it takes some time and I still think that I have tons to prove.”
— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) July 24, 2019
The Flames have three remaining RFAs to sign — alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk, forward Andrew Mangiapane and goaltender David Rittich, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 29. According to CapFriendly, Calgary general manager Brad Trevling still has about $7.4 million in cap space to work with.