The Toronto Maple Leafs will have an intriguing decision to make this offseason.
Maple Leaf’s star forward Mitch Marner is a pending free agent as he’s in the final year of his six-year $65.41 million deal. His future has been a major question mark and one user on PuckPedia predicted the Maple Leafs will let Marner walk and replace him with Sam Bennett.
The user predicted Toronto would sign Bennett to a seven-year deal worth $52.5 million, which totals $7.5 million per season.
If the Maple Leafs do let Marner walk in free agency for Bennett, it would be a cost-saving move for Toronto. Marner is expected to get $13-14 million per season, so Bennett could be half of that.
Meanwhile, Bennett adds some size and grittiness to the lineup but can play in the top-six score, which is something the Maple Leafs lineup is missing. Bennett is in the final year of his four-year $17.7 million deal.
This season, Bennett has recorded 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points in 66 games with the Florida Panthers.
Marner, meanwhile, has recorded 21 goals and 59 assists for 80 points in 65 games with the Maple Leafs.
Panthers Resuming Extension Talks With Bennett
Although the user predicted the Maple Leafs would sign Bennett, Florida is looking to keep the impact forward.
Bennett would be one of the top free agents available if he hits the open market on July 1. Yet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed Florida has resumed extension talks with Bennett.
“Sam Bennett, as it stands right now, would be one of the biggest free agents available on July 1. If he gets there,” Friedman said on Saturday Headlines on Sportsnet. “I don’t want to handicap it. But the word in the press box Thursday night (March 13) as Florida played in Toronto are talks have resumed between Bennett and the Panthers. Again, I don’t want to handicap it. I don’t want to say one way or the other. But they are trying. And it’s been a very good marriage between player and team.”
As Friedman points out, Bennett has fit well with the Panthers and Florida has benefitted from him on their roster. So, the hope is an extension can get done. But if it doesn’t, Bennett will be one of the top free agents available on July 1.
Bennett helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup in 2024 as he recorded 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in 19 playoff games.
Analyst Predicts Maple Leafs’ Marner’s AAV in Free Agency
Marner will be the top free agent available on July 1 if he gets there and will be in line for a massive payday.
NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette was on DailyFaceoff’s The Sheet with Jeff Marek and predicted Marner will sign a deal for $14 million per season.
“If you hear that they’re prepared to give somebody who hasn’t put sweat equity into the organization, and hasn’t been able to play in that type of market, and offer him ($13.5 million) maybe even a little bit a north of that. I don’t think there’s any way he’s taking any type of hometown discount. I think Marner’s looking at 14 sheets now in Toronto, because anybody else would give it to him,” Bissonnette said.
Marner is currently making $10.9o3 million per season, so he will be getting a hefty raise this summer.
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