Stanley Cup Champion Linked to Heavy Contenders, per Insider

With the March 7 trade deadline approaching, management of teams will be looking at every possibility they can to improve their team, either in the short-term or long-term.

This is where contenders make big moves, sacrificing future assets in many cases trying to win the Stanley Cup. Just look at recent champions such as Florida, Vegas, and Colorado, the biggest beneficiaries of aggressive deadline strategies.

This year's trade market could be the most interesting in years with the salary cap trending toward $100 million. Among the mix of names getting some traction, Sam Bennett is a key player who might shake the market.

So it's no accident that a combination of skill and determination has made Sam Bennett such a vital component to the Florida Panthers.

Coming off of a season in which the Panthers won the Cup, 13 goals plus 26 points from Bennett ensure he's more than just a middle-tier scorer and the most physical presence on the team.

On an expiring contract next summer, GM Bill Zito has a couple of bad options: losing Bennett for nothing or trading him.

League sources say Florida will listen to offers, particularly if the sides don't close the contract gap that was characterized as "a football field wide."

And if there is a deal, it would likely be a sign-and-trade to maximize value on both sides and the Panthers would want an immediate contributor, not future assets, since they're still in win-now mode.

The potential suitors aren't hard to find. Colorado has been trying to fill the hole left by Gabriel Landeskog's injury and Dallas is reeling from Tyler Seguin's season-ending injury and surgery, which could make these two teams the ideal landing spots.

A Mason Marchment type of return from Dallas could make sense for the Panthers. Whether Bennett stays or goes, his situation will be one of the defining storylines of this year's trade deadline.