Maple Leafs Assist Matt Benning in Pursuing NHL Opportunity

Despite successfully placing Timothy Liljegren with the San Jose Sharks, the Toronto Maple Leafs still need to address the crowded roster situation on defense.

On Friday, the Maple Leafs sent Jani Hakanpää and Connor Dewar to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan to rejoin the NHL club’s lineup.

With the potential new players in sight and the addition of experienced defenseman Matt Benning in the Liljegren trade, Toronto is looking to trade the former Shark, as reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Even after finding a home for Timothy Liljegren with the San Jose Sharks, the Toronto Maple Leafs still have work to do in easing a roster crunch on the back end.

On Friday, the Maple Leafs assigned defenceman Jani Hakanpää and forward Connor Dewar to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan as the pair looks to work back into the NHL club’s lineup.

With those potential additions on the horizon and the acquisition of veteran defenceman Matt Benning in the Liljegren deal, Toronto has made the former Shark available via trade, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“Everyone knows, [the Maple Leafs] made one move this week, they have roster crunches they’re going to have to deal with when everybody gets healthy,” Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada’s Saturday Headlines segment. “They have let it be known they want to do right by Benning”.

Matt Benning’s Career so far

With nine years of experience in the NHL, Matt Benning played seven games for San Jose this season before being traded, with an average of slightly more than 13 minutes of ice time per game.

The Edmonton native, who is 30 years old, was initially picked by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round of the 2012 draft. His first game in the NHL was in the 2016-17 season, when he joined the Oilers at 22 years old.

Benning has participated in 464 career games since joining the league, having stints with the Oilers, Sharks, and Nashville Predators. Throughout his career, he has accumulated a total of 102 points through scoring 17 goals, as well as making 714 hits and blocking 523 shots.

If other teams are looking to improve their defense, they could consider Benning as a cost-effective choice for the third defensive pairing. The defenseman who shoots right-handed is currently in the third year of a four-year contract worth $5 million that he agreed to with the Sharks. The agreement is accompanied by a cap hit of $1.25 million.

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