Flames, Bennett avoid arbitration with 2-year, $5.1M deal

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Sam Bennett to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.55 million, the club announced Wednesday.

Bennett was a restricted free agent and had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for July 27. He gets a slight raise on his previous pact, which carried a $1.95-million annual cap hit, according to CapFriendly. Bennett signed that two-year agreement in September 2017.

"I think that at a young age, everybody wants to be the next superstar," the 23-year-old told Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson on Wednesday. "But sometimes it takes some time and I still think that I have tons to prove."

Bennett produced 13 goals and 27 points in 71 regular-season games with the Flames this past season, adding five points in five playoff contests.

Selected fourth overall by the Flames in 2014, he has spent his entire five-year career with Calgary. He appeared in a single regular-season game and 11 playoff contests during his rookie campaign in 2014-15.