You’d think the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals will be where the ongoing excitement finally subsides. But you’d only prove your ignorance. With the culmination of the 2024-25 hockey season, the race to build rosters for the next season will begin immediately. And with his contract expiring this summer, Sam Bennett seems to be at the eye of the storm.

In 2021, Bennett signed a $17,700,000 4-year-long contract with the Florida Panthers. However, now an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA), the Canadian hockey center could be on the radar for every one of the Cats’ opponents ahead of the 2025-26 season. In recent days, rumors of Sam Bennett’s possible move to the Toronto Maple Leafs have gained momentum, a sentiment that was reiterated by Paul Bissonnette just days ago. However, as a new twist to the tale emerges, fans can’t help but underscore how this was always on the table.

A post by NHL Rumour Report on X from June 1 claims that The Fourth Period‘s David Pagnotta has an inside scoop on Sam Bennett’s situation. “David Pagnotta: Sam Bennett’s preference is to stay in Florida,” reads the caption of the social media update. While speculation about Sam moving to Toronto was rife, NHL insider John Shannon never backed off from his position that the Panthers could still wriggle out a special deal with the hockey star in hopes of continuing their emphatic collaboration.

“Don’t waste your time…He’s not going to market the way other free agents do. He’ll either be a Panther or a Maple Leaf,” Shannon said just a few days ago how the options are limited for Sam Bennett. However, it seems like the fans weren’t surprised by the new development at all.

“Isn’t this obvious?” one fan instead sounded baffled that anyone even entertained the thought that Bennett could be leaving Miami, especially since the Panthers have enough cap space and an offensive line that perfectly complements the star’s play style. In the 2023-24 season, Bennett posted an impressive 41 points and a +17 in plus/minus (14 points in the postseason), which was a crucial driving force behind Florida winning its first-ever Stanley Cup.

This year, Bennett has surpassed both these numbers already (51 regular-season points, 16 playoff points so far), making him irreplaceable in the Panthers’ pursuit of retaining the Cup in Miami. Naturally, with Paul Maurice’s boys on a roll, fans aren’t caught off guard by the thought that Sam would want to continue his passion for hockey with the Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Fans rally behind Sam Bennett’s potential decision regarding his NHL future

When the hockey star signed his contract with the Cats in 2021, he admitted that he and the Florida team were a match made in heaven. “I never felt so comfortable in my life playing hockey,” Bennett said after an initial practice session. Obviously, now that his future is still awaiting its confirmation, hockey pundits think the Panthers’ foes could look to swoop in to exploit the situation. However, fans aren’t fazed. Pagnotta’s recent suggestion only backed up the fans’ latent thoughts.

“He wants to stay on the best team in the league? I’m stunned,” read one fan’s sarcastic comment. “You don’t say,” another fan’s comment almost lets us see their eyes rolling. If you recall, back in 2021, before signing with the Panthers, Sam Bennett was left off the starting lineup thrice in 16 games during his last days with the Calgary Flames. You’d be stunned knowing that the stellar talent today will never have to undergo the same scenario under Coach Maurice. “What a difference,” the Cats’ coach could also hardly keep a straight face when talking about this emphatic forward. The fans, too, believe it’s exactly this kind of faith in his talent that will keep Sam in Miami.

“Why would he leave?? They have a winning DNA,” another fan underscored how being in the same team with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk and Sergei Bobrovsky would be an added bonus for Bennett to stay back. Moreover, with rumours that Mitch Marner could be on his way out of Toronto, prompting the Leafs to consider Brad Marchand, it’s even more likely that Florida GM Bill Zito would do everything in his power to hold on to Sam.

“BUT, BUT, so many members of the Toronto media said he was coming to Toronto,” another fan took a sly potshot at the Maple Leafs, reflecting the general sentiment of all Panthers fans at the moment. So, where do you think Sam Bennett could end up at once Florida’s title defense campaign comes to an end? Tell us your thoughts below!