Brandon Beane could have easily stayed in Carolina, where he spent 19 years working his way up the Panthers’ front-office ranks, if only because it felt comfortable and safe. Instead, he took the riskier option by gambling on himself in May 2017, and placing faith in the assurances made by owners Terry and Kim Pegula to accept the challenge of helping resuscitate a losing franchise. “This was an opportunity in a place that’s been down for so long that had such a great tradition,” Beane said last week upon signing a four-year contract extension as general manager that locks him up through 2025.