Getting rid of Matt Benning the plug

So TWO rookie defensemen? And as soon as injuries strike you're throwing even more rookies into the deep end? Doesn't strike me as a Holland-esque move.

I’ll take benning off your hands and give you one of or both of yanick Weber or Matt irwin

Seems like we’re headed in that directions regardless. Benning has been outplayed by Bouchard, Bear, and Lagesson thus far. + if injuries occur, they have Brandon manning to call up

No, I don't think that's the case unless one of the veterans get traded, which I don't think will happen. There are 5 returnees who are locks for NHL jobs: Klefbom, Nurse, Larsson, Benning and Russell. That leaves 1 spot open in the top-6 and the 7th man job, but Holland has been pretty steadfast that he doesn't want one of the rookies in that job. Right now there are 5 players vying for the final roster spots: Joel Persson, Evan Bouchard, Ethan Bear, Brandon Manning and William Lagesson. I'd say Persson is the most likely to win a top-6 role and Manning most likely to win the 7th man role.

Will there be more than one rookie on the roster as the season goes along? Of course, that was Holland's express reason for buying out Sekera - to open up space for the rookie defenders. But keeping both Benning and Russell means that the rookies are unlikely to be thrust into top-4 roles before they're ready.


I don't think Tippett will throw out 3 years of positive NHL results because Benning had 2 poor preseason games in a row.

Benning has been mediocre ever since their playoff run from two years ago; it hasn’t just been these two preseason games. Ethan Bear outplayed him in camp/preseason last year as well. I’d say Nurse, Klefbom, Larsson, and Russell are locks, with the final two spots coming down to Bouchard, Bear, Lagesson, and Benning. A Russell - Benning pairing would just be disastrous imo. Neither one of those guys are exceptional skaters nor passers to prevent that pairing from getting caved in their own zone.