$17,700,000 Panthers star 'tops' rival Toronto Maple Leafs' wishlist amid free agency speculation, claims Ex-NHL HC

The Toronto Maple Leafs figure to be pretty active in free agency this year. They're likely to have big contracts for Mitch Marner and John Tavares coming off the books, and they do not seem poised to re-sign them to lucrative deals at this time.

That will free up some significant cap space for a team that's floundered in the playoffs year after year, including falling flat in another Game 7 this season. Former coach Bruce Boudreau has one incoming free agent in mind for the Leafs.

Boudreau said they should target Sam Bennett once the new league year begins this summer:

"Well, I mean, I think Bennett is, to me, the tops of the list, that kind of player. I mean, look at they can. They can move Nylander up with Matthews and really not hurt anything. They could even put Bennett, who's a center.

"They could sign Tavares and make him the third-line center and Bennett the second, or vice versa. I think it would be really good. I think they've got enough offense."

Bennett, whose $17.7 million contract with Toronto's rivals Florida Panthers ends at the end of the season, figures to be a very popular player this offseason, as he will at least be a one-time champion and someone who's scored 45 goals combined in the past two seasons.

Boudreau thinks he'd fit nicely with the Leafs' current lineup, even without Marner and Tavares in the mix, to give them plenty of firepower.

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Sam Bennett talks about his line's playoff dominance

Though they stumbled in Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes, the top line of Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett has been stellar in the Eastern Conference finals.

Sam Bennett has dominated this playoffs (Imagn)

Bennett addressed why they've been so good ahead of Game 4, via ESPN:

"We are kind of a line that can do everything. Chucky likes to hold pucks down low, he likes to slow the game down a little bit. Then, Carter is speeding the game up, he's using his speed, he's heavy and fast.

"Then, I'm kind of a mix of that. It's just a line that we've found has been effective in the playoffs. I love playing with both of those guys."

They were all held off the scoreboard in a Game 4 shutout, but they have the chance to get to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final with a win tonight in Raleigh.