NHL Trade Rumors: Paul Bissonnette claims Toronto Maple Leafs still 'very interested' in $17,700,000 Panthers forward

Paul Bissonnette said that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still "very interested" in Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett. The hockey insider shared this on NHL on TNT's "Face-Off" broadcast on Sunday.

"There's also rumblings out there that Toronto is very interested in Sam Bennett," Bissonnette said.

Bennett, who is in the last year of a four-year $17.7 million contract signed in July 2021 (per Spotrac), has scored 20 goals and 21 assists in 62 games this season. He also has 202 shots, 129 hits and 71 penalty minutes. After struggling midseason, he has picked up two goals and four assists in his last seven games.

The Maple Leafs are having a strong season with a 38-22-3 record. They are second in the Atlantic Division, four points behind Florida and one point ahead of Tampa Bay. Mitch Marner leads the team with 79 points while William Nylander has scored 35 goals.

Toronto forwards Marner and John Tavares are in the last year of their contracts and the Leafs will likely face challenges to accommodate their new cap hit. One or both players could test free agency and the team could pursue Bennett.

Toronto could use Bennett’s two-way play to strengthen its lineup. His physical style of play and scoring ability could help in the playoffs. However, there's no confirmation from Bissonnette that it will happen, but the Maple Leafs' offseason moves will likely be interesting.

Sam Bennett scores in Panthers’ shutout win over Sabres

Sam Bennett scored an empty-net goal in the Florida Panthers’ 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. He played 16:25 minutes and recorded two shots on goal with a rating of +1.

Florida took the lead at 7:20 of the first period when Nate Schmidt’s shot slipped through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s pads and A.J. Greer tapped it in. Carter Verhaeghe made it 2-0 at 9:32 of the second with a point shot that went through traffic and beat Luukkonen.

Anton Lundell added another goal at 17:09 of the second. Schmidt’s shot went through Luukkonen’s legs again and Lundell pushed the puck across the line. Bennett sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:26 of the third.

Vitek Vanecek made 21 saves in his Panthers debut and earned a shutout. Buffalo struggled to create chances and had only three shots in the third period. Florida has allowed just one goal in its last four games.