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Sam Bennett Reportedly Chooses One Specific Canadian Team as Top Free Agency Option

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 29, 2025 9:40 PM ET

Sam Bennett is chasing his second straight Stanley Cup, but this summer, he's left the door open to the possibility of signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third straight season, and whether or not they finish of back-to-back Cup wins, they've got some huge free agency decisions to make this off-season.

Perhaps the biggest piece that could be on the way out of Florida is star forward Sam Bennett, who has made a major impact with the Panthers over the past three playoff runs, as he has become invaluable to the success of this organization.

However, it appears that Bennett may be set to depart the team in the summer as a free agent, and according to a recent report, he's narrowed his search down to just two potential destinations.

On the Sekeres and Price Show, it was revealed that for Bennett, free agency is a decision between returning to Florida and playing with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, and given that both teams have plenty of salary cap room, it could come down to a major decision for Bennett.

Thus far in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bennett has been the type of player that Toronto covet, tallying 10 goals and 16 points in 17 games played with a +2 differential in that time, and given how physical he is in the biggest moments, Toronto would do well to land the 28-year old.

It's not going to be cheap however, but if Toronto let Mitch Marner walk in free agency, they may be prepared to offer Bennett more money than anyone in the off-season, so now, we simply have to wait and see where the star forward ends up.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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