Photo credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

Matt Benning was a ‘throw in’ for the San Jose Sharks to complete the Timothy Liljegren trade and his status with the Maple Leafs is now known.

Acquired as part of the Liljegren deal last Wednesday, Matt Benning has another season left on his deal after this one that carries a $1.25M cap hit. The 30-year-old is certainly a servicable NHL defenseman, but he is in the same situation that Liljegren was in – at the bottom of the depth chart for the Leafs.

The Leafs still have some time, but will need to decide the right course of action for their roster once the conditioning stints for the injured Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar end.

Sitting with 23 players on their roster currently, the Leafs need to move two players, whether that be through waivers or via trade in order to activate Hakanpaa and Dewar. Given his place on the depth chart of the Leafs, Benning is the most likely defensive candidate to be placed on waivers or be traded.

While he hasn’t gotten to play since joining the Leafs, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed during ‘Saturday Headlines’ that the Leafs are trying to do right by Benning and get him somewhere that will allow him to play.
“They have roster crunches they are going to have to deal with when everyone gets healthy. They have let it be known that they want to do right by Benning. He’s a guy who is an NHL player. He’s more than capable of playing on a roster. They are trying to do what’s best for him. Teams know he’s available.”
 

Friedman doubled-down on his comments on his ’32 Thoughts’ podcast Monday, but noted that when he was added to the Liljegren trade, the Leafs asked the Sharks which teams had shown interest in the former sixth-round pick, demonstrating they intended to help Benning find a spot to play the entire time. As time ticks down on the Leafs’ roster decisions, if Benning finds himself getting into a game or two, it may change his position on the depth chart, but as of now, he appears to be the odd man out on the blueline.