Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Surprising Team Emerges as Frontrunner to Land Top Free Agent Sam Bennett

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 13, 2025 5:47 PM ET

Sam Bennett is set to be one of the top free agents on the market this summer, and now, the St. Louis Blues are emerging as a top landing destination.

The Florida Panthers appear well on their way to competing for another Stanley Cup in 2025, and while there are plenty of factors going into that, it's hard to deny just how physical this team has been through the early parts of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The driving force behind that has been veteran forward Sam Bennett, who has drawn the ire of opposing fans and opposing players throughout the post-season thus far, and it's just one of many reasons why he'll be getting a huge new contract in the summer.

There are set to be many teams interested in landing him, and now, analyst Andy Strickland has revealed that the St. Louis Blues will be among them, noting that he'll be at the top of their list in the off-season.

That would be a major pickup for the Blues, a team that took a huge step forward in 2024/25 by being one of the league's hottest teams in the second half, and given the stability there, it's easy to see why pending free agents would have interest, with Mitch Marner previously linked to the team as well.

With Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn as the teams top two centres, it's clearly a need for the team, and if they could add Bennett to a team that already made the playoffs in 2024/25, there's no doubting that they'd be a threat again next season.

Also in Strickland's report is that Bennett, despite being Canadian and beginning his career there with Calgary, has no interest in signing with a team in his home country this summer, so while Florida will want him back and St. Louis will be chasing him, expect plenty of interest in him whenever the Panthers season comes to an end.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: