Maple Leafs Predicted to Land Stanley Cup Champion in Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs get ready for the upcoming offseason, the roster is expected to look very different next year. With a few key players entering free agency, the front office will have a lot of work to do.
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Toronto suffered another early playoff exit, so the team could be forced to make some drastic moves. But the Maple Leafs are still planning on going after a Stanley Cup, putting even more pressure on building a more well-rounded team.
The free agent class this year has a few solid options that Toronto should consider. And the Maple Leafs should look no further than to the team that knocked them out of the postseason, the Florida Panthers.
Florida has multiple quality players hitting free agency as well, and the Maple Leafs could benefit from this. One name that could be intriguing is veteran center Sam Bennett, who could help bolster the Toronto offense.
NHL writer Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report linked the two together, listing Toronto as a possible landing spot.
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“History and money have a way of working out sometimes, but if the Leafs added Bennett while also losing Marner, the way Toronto plays and responds to teams will change drastically. Bennett addresses a desperate need in the Leafs lineup and they may have a lot of money at their disposal to make an offer. If Bennett doesn’t re-sign with Florida ahead of July 1, Toronto will push hard for his services,” Yerdon wrote.
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates with forwards Aleksander Barkov (16) and Sam Bennett (9) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period in game five of the s…Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto could benefit greatly from the playoff success that Bennett has seen over his career. The veteran has helped Florida reach three straight Stanley Cup Finals, and he has produced in each run.
This postseason, Bennett has scored 15 goals and seven assists for the Panthers. And while Bennett is likely to stay with the Panthers, free agency always has some strange twists and turns.
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The Maple Leafs would make a lot of sense for him if things with the Panthers fell apart.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.