NHL Rumors: Insider drops bombshell report on Sam Bennett's preferred next landing spot involving Maple Leafs

NHL insider Andy Strickland has shared a bombshell report about the future of Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett. Bennett’s four-year, $17.7 million deal is coming to an end, and after playing a key role in Florida’s back-to-back championships, he’s in line for a significant raise.

The Panthers will likely try to re-sign him, but if those talks break down, it appears Bennett does not have interest in joining the Toronto Maple Leafs, as per Strickland. He wrote on X:

"Hearing Toronto will not be on Sam Bennett’s list of free agent destinations, if unable to come to terms with Florida and he becomes a UFA."

Bennett is coming off a monster playoff performance, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as he led the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup title. He scored a playoff-high 15 goals, capping off a breakout year for the 28-year-old forward.

Frank Seravalli feels Florida’s tax edge makes it hard to lure Sam Bennett away from the Panthers

While Sam Bennett's future is up in the air, NHL analyst Frank Seravalli believes that Florida's lack of a state income tax gives the Panthers an advantage in re-signing him.

Speaking on Sportsnet, Seravalli estimated that a new deal for Bennett could come in at around eight years at $7.5 million per season. However, due to Florida's tax situation, even a more expensive contract from another team might not be enough to lure him away.

"They've got the no state income tax advantage. I've pegged what a Sam Bennett deal might look like at something like eight times seven and a half million per year," Seravalli said.

He went on to explain how the tax differences across NHL cities impact players' take-home pay.

“Depending on the jurisdiction with tax, one team at seven times ten still nets Sam Bennett less in his pocket than eight times seven and a half. So you can see why it might be difficult for someone to pry Bennett loose from South Florida."

Simply put, Bennett would likely have more money left over on a $7.5 million salary in tax-free Florida than he would on a hypothetically higher salary in a high-tax market. This makes it challenging for other teams to attract Panthers players in free agency.

Seravalli believes Florida's lack of state tax gives it a built-in advantage when it comes to retaining its own talent. This could tie in with Andy Strickland's report on Bennett not being open to playing for Toronto.