5 potential trade destinations for Maple Leafs’ Simon Benoit

Benoit, 27, holds some trade value, thanks to being under contract through next season at just $1.3 million. He brings a strong work ethic, a stay-at-home presence, and contending teams could see Benoit as a great bottom-pair option for the postseason.

Through 49 games this season, the 6-foot-4 Laval, Quebec native has averaged 17:20 of ice-time a night, he’s yet to score a goal, meanwhile has chipped in with three assists. Benoit plays a depth penalty killer role for the Maple Leafs, and isn’t shy to sacrifice his body, blocking 79 shots, while landing an impressive 129 hits.

Benoit doesn’t have trade protection on his contract, and can be moved at will. The Maple Leafs need to get more mobile, and offensive from their blueline, so don’t be surprised to see Treliving re-tool on the fly before the Mar. 6 trade deadline. Here’s five teams to keep an eye on as potential destinations if Benoit is shipped out of Toronto:

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are an easy add here, based on the fact they only have two defencemen under contract for next season, and know Benoit well from his few seasons as a rival Anaheim Duck. Sharks general manager Mike Grier is looking to not only find upgrades on his blueline ahead of the deadline, he’s interested in blueliners who have term on their current deal.

The Sharks have exceeded expectations so far this season, and Grier is expected to add to his roster to give his young core a chance to crack their first Stanley Cup Playoffs. Benoit isn’t going to move the needle a ton for the Sharks, but he can bring a steady physical presence and be an effective penalty killer. San Jose’s PK ranks 21st in the league, so Benoit could make a huge impact immediately, without even getting anywhere close to the scoresheet.

Considering the Sharks have almost $10 million in cap space, and a cupboard full of draft picks and prospects, don’t be surprised if any trade between these two teams escalated into something bigger, and with forward Bobby McMann being involved.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are adding around the edges ahead of the deadline, as GM Stan Bowman needs to find a couple of role players for his bottom six, and bottom pair. Benoit is a great fit for the Oilers as he’ll come in, know his role, be a positive influence on the dressing room, and play a very physical, defence-first style.

Benoit would immediately step onto the Oilers PK and make a significant impact, which is ranked 26th in the league, and he’s more than just a short-term fix, thanks to his extra year on his deal.

Edmonton only has $2.8 million in cap space to work with, and while they’ve been linked to the Maple Leafs for weeks in trade talks, it seems to be only centered around Benoit and McMann, just based on the fact not only do they fill holes for Bowman, they’re affordable, at least financially. We’ll have to wait and see if Bowman meets Treliving’s price tag, especially if it’s multiple pieces heading west.

Anaheim Ducks

Benoit could very well end up back with the Ducks before this season’s deadline. Anaheim is an up-and-coming team who happen to be exceeding expectations this year, entering the Olympic break with a 30-23-3 record, good for the second wild-card position in the Western Conference.

GM Pat Verbeek doesn’t want to commit to too much long term financially, which was one of the reasons the Ducks lost out of Artemi Panarin, as Verbeek wasn’t interested in paying Panarin before extending his young core. Anaheim’s executive doesn’t have to worry about Benoit breaking the bank, as his $1.3 million cap hit is an easy add when you have $36.8 million in cap space to work with.

Anaheim aligns nicely for the Maple Leafs as a trade partner, as they have several NHL-ready prospects and hold all their picks for this year’s draft. Verbeek can get creative, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see any team who makes a deal with the Maple Leafs, wind up buying multiple pieces.

Treliving is going to be open to just about anything ahead of the Mar.6 deadline, but don’t expect to see any deal right out of the gates after the break. It’s expected that Treliving will give the Leafs a chance to win as many games as possible before the deadline, and then he’ll assess from there.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens have surprised many this season, entering the break sitting second in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-15-12 record. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs in site, GM Kyle Dubas could circle back to his former team to make some upgrades before the trade deadline.

Pittsburgh has several defencemen who are pending free agents heading into the offseason, and since there’s been a ton of interest in flipping defencemen Brett Kulak, Dubas could move out one veteran to upgrade up front, and then also bring in Benoit as a cheaper option, who he’s familiar with, and more importantly, is under contract for next season at a very reasonable cap hit.

The Penguins already have a strong PK, so Benoit could be another depth option for head coach Dan Muse. Benoit is also close with Penguins defenceman Kris Letang and has a former teammate in Rickard Rakell, so the transition to a new team could be seamless in this scenario.

Dubas isn’t necessarily in the rental market, as he continues to think long-term with his roster. Benoit makes a ton of sense as an under-the-radar addition, who can make a serious impact on the defensive side of the puck, this season and next.

Boston Bruins

After the Fraser Minten trade last season, Leafs Nation may get a little anxious if these two teams align for another deadline deal. Boston entered the break with a 32-20-5 record, sitting four points clear in the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. While the Maple Leafs won’t be in any hurry to help the B’s playoff chances, if Toronto is out of the race, don’t be surprised to see the Bruins come calling for Benoit.

Boston ranks 28th in the league in penalty killing efficiency, and could use Benoit’s skillset to shore up their d-zone coverage. With under $4 million in cap space, it feels like the Bruins are going to make changes around the edges of their roster, instead of anything significant for their top six, and Benoit’s one of the better depth blueline options available on the trade market.

We know Minten isn’t coming back to Toronto anytime soon, but perhaps there’s an b-level prospect and mid-round pick that GM Don Sweeney is open to parting with. Benoit’s game is tailored perfectly to Bruins’ playoff hockey, so he’s certainly going to be on their trade radar ahead of Mar.6.

Keep an eye on the Maple Leafs leading up to this season’s trade deadline. While Treliving won’t be making any significant changes right out of the Olympic break, word is he’s been very active in trade conversations, and is setting himself up to re-tool on the fly closer to deadline day.

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