The Maple Leafs need a young centre and Darren Dreger hints that Mathew Beniers is available
Photo credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Matty Beniers would be the centre who could put Toronto over the top and word from TSN's Darren Dreger shows that he very well could be available.
As the Maple Leafs look to make massive improvements this summer, a lot of that is going to come down to whether or not they can add some more youth and speed to their lineup and start to move away from relying on slow, aging veterans.
It's going to be difficult to bring someone in given they don't have a ton of draft capital however they may not need to go that route.
The reason Seattle is considering a move with Matty Beniers and why Toronto must jump in
News from Darren Dreger should have Maple Leafs fans excited as he named Seattle Kraken centre Matty Beniers as a player who could be on the move given that Seattle might not be too impressed with his progress so far:
I don't think he's reached his top level yet; if Seattle isn't convinced of that and he is potentially a piece that might fetch you something better; if I were a team...where I'm shipping players out, he'd be high on my list.
Beniers, 23, was a second-overall pick in 2021 however hasn't exactly hit his stride. In 328 games he has 194 points (82 goals 112 assists) and was the Calder Trophy winner in 2022-23 but has yet to reach those heights again.
But it's also his possession numbers that are slipping with his Corsi going from 56% to 53%; he's still above the average but there's a bit of regression in that aspect.
The one knock on Beniers could be his face-off ability which is solid but nothing that touches some of the better pivots in the game.
Toronto needs someone like Beniers who can come in while still young and a bit raw and be put with some guys who can help get him back on track offensively.
William Nylander would assuredly love to have him on his line for the next half decade, and he could replace Auston Matthews if he ends up leaving.
How landing a former second overall pick like Matty Beniers accelerates the 2027 rebuild
Well, you can almost think of Beniers as your draft pick considering he's still young and the fact that he was a top selection; you can always hang your hat on adding a player of that calibre.
The Maple Leafs are looking to shift their focus and sell on a bunch of players so if they were to put a package together that would give Seattle a lot more depth overall at the cost of Beniers — to them it may be worth it.
Plus it would be a bit of a nice consolation prize as Toronto lost Bobby McMann to the Kraken at the deadline, and taking one of their top players in a big swap would instantly show the NHL that they mean business.
He already can play 2C for you, so John Tavares can move down and you're able to use your young wingers to surround the veteran, meanwhile you can bring in a youth trio to man the fourth line and with Beniers locked up until 2031, you've got a star for years who you don't need to replace for a long time.
You're essentially trading a big package for an already drafted player but with the fact that the Toronto can add a potential elite talent in Beniers for only the cost of a few players they want to get rid of anyways — Matty as a Maple Leafs is a very real possibility.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol