When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Simon Benoit to a one-year, $775,000 contract last summer, half of Leafs Nation likely went – ‘who?’. Little did they know, it wouldn’t take long for Benoit to make a name for himself.
Benoit joined the Leafs in late August of 2023, after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Anaheim Ducks. The stay-at-home defenseman spent parts of five seasons in the Ducks organization, with his most productive season coming in 2022-23, tallying 10 points in 78 games, while landing 216 hits and blocking 128 shots.
Signed to his new one-year deal in Toronto, the Laval, QC native would play two games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, before Treliving decided to give his free-agent signing a look. The rest was history, as it didn’t take Benoit long to show off his fearless style of play and make an impact on the makeup of the team. Benoit turned his showcase into some security, as he inked a three-year contract extension worth $1.35 million average annual value late in the season. Benoit finished his ’23-24 campaign leading the Maple Leafs with 246 hits, which also ranked him top-five in the NHL in hits per game. His physicality and willingness to stick up for his teammates made him a very popular player in the dressing room.
Benny & the belt pic.twitter.com/bJv85DOxwo
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 4, 2024
For the most part, Benoit was paired with Jake McCabe last season. The duo played the second most minutes of any Leafs pairing and while there was instant chemistry between the two, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be playing together in 2024-25. With the Maple Leafs bringing in Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jani Hakanpaa, the dynamics on the back end have changed considerably.
The Expectation – Be tough to play against on the bottom pair
For the Maple Leafs to get the most out of Benoit, they need to keep his role limited. Toronto has a reshaped blueline, so it’s expected the 26-year-old d-man will be pushed down a peg, to the bottom pair.
Benoit must continue to muck it up in the dirty areas of the ice. This means not making it easy for opponents to enter the zone, stepping up and laying big hits at the Leafs’ blue line. It also means winning battles along the half-wall and making sure to clear the front of the net at all costs. Benoit needs to pay close attention to details in the defensive zone and keep his game simple. Positioning is key, and so to is making a quick first pass to leave the zone. Any production offensively is gravy.
On special teams, the 6-foot-4 blueliner will be used on the second penalty-kill unit, behind Tanev and McCabe. Benoit’s likely to see Morgan Rielly or Timothy Liljegren alongside him on the PK, and they’ll look to help the Leafs finish better than 23rd in the league, where they finished last season.
When it comes to 5v5, Benoit appears headed for a partnership with Liljegren. This could be a duo that compliments each other well and it could give Liljegren a chance to take more risks joining the play. They should be able to avoid playing against the other team’s top lines and it will be interesting to see how much Craig Berube trusts them in key spots of the game.
The Goal – Push Ekman-Larsson for second-pair minutes
Internal competition is the bread-and-butter of training camp and while Benoit hasn’t necessarily had a stellar camp, he needs to go into the season looking to move up the depth chart. His perfect world should consist of getting himself reunited with McCabe on the Maple Leafs’ second pair.
Benoit will need to be a defensive stopper at even strength for Berube to even consider the swap, as Ekman-Larsson is fresh off a Stanley Cup victory, he’s a savvy veteran and someone the coaching staff already trusts. Benoit’s climb up the ranks must be built off piss and vinegar. The coaching staff wants to ice a team that is heavy, and hard to play against night in and night out, and Benoit needs to do his best to lead the charge from the Leafs’ blueline. His playing style is perfectly suited for the identity Berube and company are looking for.
If Benoit doesn’t get off to a strong start to the season, his role could quickly be in jeopardy. Regardless of the multi-year extension, the Leafs have the likes of Hakanpaa and Conor Timmins as other depth options, so once everyone is back to full strength, it’s going to be intriguing to see how Berube manages everyone’s workloads.
For now, ‘Benny’ is a lock for the Leafs’ bottom pair. He’ll look to continue his physical ways and make life difficult for opponents. The Maple Leafs kick off their regular season against the rival Montreal Canadiens Oct.9, in what could be a very heated game. Look for Benoit to be in the middle of it all opening night and throughout the rest of the season.
