Rumor mill: The Panthers want to offer Bennett a contract worth $7 million per season

7M isn’t enough for Bennett.

The Panthers have a tax rate advantage… but still: there’s going to be a club offering him a lot more than that, and maybe that’ll weigh in the balance, in the end.

Unless Bennett figures that in Florida, he has a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup and is willing to take less money to do it…

Andrew Mangiapane may test the market

Last summer, Andrew Mangiapane signed a one-season contract ($5.8 million) with the Washington Capitals.

He struggled offensively – 28 points, including 14 goals, in 81 games -… and the Caps seem keen to make another call.

The result?

The diminutive forward is likely to test the free agent market on July 1. Mangiapane also has a new agent:

I really find it hard to believe that Mangiapane will be able to sign such a nice contract this summer.

His performance has been disappointing, he’s 29, he’s not the biggest at 5’10 and 183 pounds….

5.8 M$ per season for a player like him was already a lot to begin with. He may have to take a pay cut to sign elsewhere, and there should be some interest in his services around the league.

But clubs won’t be lining up, either.

Two guys on the market on Long Island

The Islanders are entering a new era.

The organization has a new GM in Mathieu Darche, the club will be in a position to talk about the top spot in the next draft (which is fast approaching, by the way) and we have a feeling it’s going to feel good out there.

The Islanders have been good in recent years, but they’ve never been a dominant club.

That said, to make room, Darche seems to have a plan in mind.

I say that because right now, there are two guys on the market on Long Island according to David Pagnotta: Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Pierre Engvall.

Pageau is coming off his second-best offensive season in his career (42 points), and he’s still capable of giving more.

On a third line, we’re talking about a guy who can really get the job done. Should the Canadiens be interested in him? Maybe, in the sense that adding a feisty guy like him who’s good in the face-off circle can never hurt… But it’s Pageau’s contract ($5M) that’s the scary part.

For Engvall, it’s been really tough this season, and trading him will be difficult because he still has five years left on his current contract ($3M per season).

Overtime

– Nice!

– 100 %.

– A good draft.