Insiders Reveal Leafs' Ultimate Plan For Newly-Acquired Defender Matt Benning
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Photo credit: Jess Starr Photography
Multiple NHL Insiders say the Maple Leafs already have a plan in place for newly-acquired defenseman Matt Benning.
Acquired in the Timothy Liljegren trade on Wednesday, 30-year-old Matt Benning carries a $1.25M cap hit for this season and next. While it is significantly less than Liljegren's $3M cap hit, and while his acquisition saves the Leafs $1.75M in cap space, Benning still takes up a roster spot on the Leafs' 23-man roster.
With the amount of depth on the blueline that the Leafs have, TSN's Darren Dreger and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believe that Benning is expendable and that the Leafs will try to flip him for another asset at some point between now and the trade deadline.
"It has more to do with roster space than it has to do with the cap issues that the Toronto Maple Leafs seem to tangle with on a day-in and day-out basis, annually speaking," said Dreger on 'Insider Trading' Thursday. "It was a fresh start for Timothy Liljegren, right? He wasn't fitting the eye of head coach Craig Berube, so he gets a fresh start with the San Jose Sharks. The Toronto Maple Leafs get a couple draft picks, which they need, Matt Benning, a veteran defenseman, who Treliving could also flip and add an additional asset."
Elliotte Friedman confirmed Dreger's initial speculation on his '32 Thoughts' podcast on Friday morning, and you know what they say -- where there's smoke...
"I think it is very possible that the Leafs will try and flip (Matt) Benning."
In Benning, the Leafs get a very responsible defensive defenseman on the right side that is willing to play a physical and simple game. That's a desirable asset around the league, especially because Benning is a right shot.
Since making his debut with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2016-2017 season, Benning has skated in 464 regular season games collecting 102 points and 239 penalty minutes to go along with 523 blocked shots and 714 hits while averaging 16:37 per game.
Benning's future with the Leafs depends on how fast he can integrate himself into the lineup over the next six days while Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar are on a conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies. For now, Benning has a spot with the Leafs, but once Hakanpaa and Dewar are eligible to return from their conditioning stint, the Leafs will have to move at least two players off the roster, either via trade or waivers, and just because he's the 'new guy', it doesn't mean that Benning is safe.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 1 | 1812 ANSWERS Insiders Reveal Leafs' Ultimate Plan For Newly-Acquired Defender Matt Benning Should the Leafs try to flip Benning for another asset? | ||
| Only if it's center | 381 | 21 % |
| No, they'll be hit by injuries eventually | 424 | 23.4 % |
| Draft picks to make an impact add at the deadline | 1007 | 55.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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