Simon Benoit's Place in Maple Leafs Lineup Suddenly in Jeopardy
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Simon Benoit was expected to be a big part of Toronto's everyday lineup however with some new changes made this offseason he could be on his way out.
When news broke that Simon Benoit had suffered an injury in the preseason, it kind of shook up the Maple Leafs solid defensive group a bit, as Oliver Ekman-Larsson didn't have his usual partner in crime on the left side.
He seemed to flourish, however Benoit has since returned to the ice and has played in the last couple preseason games to moderate success, just trying to get his feet back under him and get some reps before the regular season.
However, when he has been playing it's been on the right side, a place unfamiliar for him and a means to help Ekman-Larsson find his offensive stride once again.
Crowded Right Side Leaves Benoit in a Tough Spot
That's tough for Benoit given not only his handedness, but the fact that the team could certainly use a right-handed puck-mover instead of yet another shutdown defender at least according to some online:
Case in point, Toronto could use somebody like a Henry Thrun or William Villeneuve instead, as both would offer much more offensive potential at the cost of losing a bit of extra physicality.
The team has seemingly tried to adjust how they operate from the point and we've seen much more shooting and pucks directed on net as opposed to the constant cycling back and forth we've seen previously.
Why the Maple Leafs Might Prefer a Puck-Mover Instead
That necessitates a puck mover besides Morgan Rielly, and while Ekman-Larsson can still play an offensive role, they still need a third quarterback to help run things and balance it out.
The team could end up keeping ahold of Benoit for the time being and decide to make a move later down the line for someone like a Dougie Hamilton or Erik Karlsson though that price is going to be steep.
It's a cost they are going to need to come to terms with though if they want to add that extra offensive punch to their back end. If this team wants to be as deep and balanced as possible, Benoit needs to be a depth player.
Benoit, 27, had 10 points in 78 games for the Maple Leafs (1 goal, 9 assists) but added 111 blocks and 204 hits while being a very respectable plus-12.
Craig Berube seemingly has his defense locked down for now, but if the team is looking to add a puck moving blueliner to their ranks, it looks like Simon Benoit is going to be the casualty in order to make it happen.
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