Could Matt Benning be an Option for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs need defense help. There’s no debating that.

Right-defense, in particular, was already a big area of concern for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Given Nikita Zaitsev’s days with the team appear to be numbered – he recently requested a trade – and veteran Ron Hainsey remains unsigned, the state of the right-side is looking even bleaker.

Justin Holl is currently the only right-defender under contract who has NHL experience. That spans just 13 games, and the 27-year-old has only played sheltered minutes on the bottom-pairing.

With Travis Dermott sidelined to start the year, Mike Babcock won’t have the option of shifting him to his off-side in an effort to shore things up.

GM Kyle Dubas is almost certainly going to have to go outside the organization to address this.

Enter the Oilers

That’s why it is hardly surprising the Maple Leafs are being linked to external candidates, including Matt Benning of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Leafs were believed to be interested prior to the deadline and nothing that has transpired since leaves any reason to suggest that’s no longer the case.

It also makes sense that the Oilers, a team lacking speed and extremely shallow on the wings, would have interest in Connor Brown.

While Benning would hardly be a cure-all savior, the 25-year-old is a solid player and would address what has become a huge need.

Among six Oilers defenders to log at least 1,000 minutes at 5v5 over the last three seasons, Benning ranks 1st in on-ice Goals For% and 2nd – only behind Oscar Klefbom – in on-ice Corsi For%, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. He wasn’t given the toughest minutes, but credit to him for taking advantage of that.

Benning’s rate stats are pretty encouraging as well. During that same span, he mustered up .81 points per 60 minutes. That ranks him 92nd in the NHL – ahead of notables including T.J. Brodie, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Colton Parayko and Cam Fowler, among others.

He can skate, he can move the puck, his underlying numbers are solid, and he’d help fill a big void on the right side.

If the  Toronto Maple Leafs have the opportunity to land Benning for Connor Brown, who has averaged fewer points/60 than the likes of Derek Grant, Carter Rowney, Zack Kassian, and Matt Cullen since becoming a full-time NHLer, one would think they’ll pull the trigger. At least they should.

It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of these rumors in the coming weeks.