The stakes have never been lower. Here we are, the Toronto Maple Leafs are sitting at or near the top of the Atlantic Division depending on what day you are reading this, nearing the halfway point of the season and the point of discussion is whether there is something to can be done about the bottom defensive pairing on the Leafs roster.
It’s not even that Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins have been bad. They’ve just noticeably been a bottom pairing. Not just a bottom pairing on a good team like the Leafs but neither player would run the risk of playing higher in any lineup around the league. No one is questioning when one of them is scratched for Philippe Myers and given that the pairing comes in at a combined price under $2.5M, it is a get-what-you-pay-for situation.
That’s part of the problem though. If they are replacement level and can be replaced, it seems like a worthwhile time to see if there is someone in the organization or elsewhere who could play above their contract. The Leafs need to see if there is someone who can move up in the lineup when injuries occur and right now the defensive depth player that has shown to be the most capable of taking on a top four partner is Myers being functional with Morgan Rielly as needed. Again, not so much that he runs the risk of making that a permanent thing, but good enough that the Leafs signed him up as a depth option for a couple more years.
Myers as a long term player who offers inexpensive depth gives Toronto an option to explore a bit more. History has shown that when it comes to putting players on waivers, teams are a lot less willing to take on depth players with term. Myers would be a commitment and even though his contract can be buried, it still needs to be paid, and $1.7M on someone who could spend that entire time in the AHL is still a hard sell for most teams that aren’t in the Leafs printing money situation.
Sending Myers down to the AHL is now an option and in fairness, putting Benoit and Timmins down to the minors as needed should be an option as well, but one step at a time. Opening up a roster space allows for another look at Marshall Rifai or a first look at the recently reclaimed Dakota Mermis or even make a case for finding out what Mikko Kokkonen, Cade Webber, or Topi Niemela at the NHL level. And with the need to take a look at left side options, Rifai and Mermis could honestly get a look, but for now, the player that could have the best immediate impact in the NHL is likely Matt Benning.
Matt Benning is the most NHL experienced option of the Leafs’ depth defenders and might also be the most versatile. He had a decent success rate early in his career but had to do a little too much in San Jose and his results declined when there was no longer a place to shelter him in the lineup. Benning isn’t an exciting option but offers a bit of a blend of what the Leafs get in both Myers and Timmins. He’s a bit more physical and can move the puck. He has a more level head than Timmins and that could be the right fit for Craig Berube, who wants stability and risk reduction above all else from his defenders.
Will it work out with Matt Benning and the Maple Leafs? I don’t think anyone can confidently say one way or the other. Again, working out is relative to being as good or better than Benoit, Myers, and Timmins, not presenting him as a glorious top four option. He is worth a look and might at the least be a versatile 7D option.
The Leafs still have a bigger need on the blueline and that is finding someone who can either bump Oliver Ekman-Larsson down to the 5D spot or be an option capable of moving up to 4D if one of Ekman-Larsson, Tanev, McCabe, or Rielly is hurt. Benning doesn’t address that. Benning certainly can be an option, and with half a season still to be played, taking a look at Benning on the Leafs for a few games wouldn’t hurt, especially now that it is less likely to cost them Philippe Myers.