Matt Benning hopes to be back in the NHL next season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was an awkward season for Benning, whom the Maple Leafs acquired from the San Jose Sharks in late October for defenseman Timothy Liljegren. Almost immediately, the 31-year-old was loaned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and he played the entire season with the club.
Benning appeared in 39 games with the Marlies, scoring one goal and seven assists—his first stint in the AHL since the 2019-20 season with the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate).
The Edmonton, Alberta native has played 464 games in the NHL since being drafted by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. Benning was a mainstay on the Sharks’ blue line until he underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum in January 2024.
Now, after a full rehab, tons of playing time with the Marlies, and a training camp upcoming, Benning hopes to impress Toronto enough that he can make the club’s opening night roster.
“I still think I’m an NHL defenceman,” Benning told the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. “I didn’t get a chance for a call-up (with the Leafs) but their D core is really good. I don’t blame them. I need a good camp to either impress them or another team (waiver claim) before the season starts.”
Benning isn’t that far removed from his strongest season in the NHL, where he scored one goal and 23 assists in 77 games during the 2022-23 season. As a veteran defender, there’ll be plenty of NHL teams wanting his services if he has a strong training camp with the Maple Leafs.
“I was fine with it (AHL last season). I was excited to play more, find my game again after my big (hip) injury. Individually, if I felt I could be in the NHL again, then it was the right move to be down there,” added Benning.
The defenseman is in the final year of a four-year, $5 million contract signed in 2022 with San Jose. If he does impress during Toronto’s training camp, there’ll likely be a few teams putting in a claim if he’s waived before the beginning of the year.
However, if he’s waived and no team claims him, the Maple Leafs will once again be charged $100,000 to keep his contract in the minors with the Marlies.
Latest stories:
Maple Leafs Reportedly 'Still Keeping Tabs' On UFA Jack Roslovic As Training Camp Approaches
Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Tyson Barrie Retires After 14 Seasons In NHL
FROM THE THN ARCHIVES: Maple Leafs Finding Their Chill
Read the full article here
