Leafs GM Brad Treliving Facing Stiff Competition to Land Stanley Cup Champion

The opening day of free agency always sees teams overpay, only to regret the contracts they offered a year or two down the road.

This year will be no different, as Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner is likely to become the highest paid player in the league when the market opens July 1st.

While the Maple Leafs and Marner are set to engage in discussions to figure out where they stand, the Leafs have been setting up their back-up plans behind the scenes -- one of which includes a reunion between Brad Treliving and one of his former draft picks in Sam Bennett.

Unfortunately for Treliving and the Leafs, not only will they have to out-bid 20+ other teams for Bennett's services, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that they will be in tough against a perennial Stanley Cup contender out West.

Although the Leafs will face stiff competition from the Golden Knights and others, they may have the upper-hand.

According to John Shannon, Bennett wants to play in one of two places - Toronto or Florida.

Bennett's reported desire to play in Toronto and his relationship with Brad Treliving may give the Maple Leafs the upper hand to begin negotiations, but given Florida and Vegas are in tax-free states, that is where it ends.

The Leafs would have to offer Bennett far more money in order for him to take home the same amount as he would in those places, but for now, Bennett will look to help the Panthers in their bid to capture their second Stanley Cup in as many years while Treliving and the Leafs sort through their roster and wait for clarification on Marner's situation.