"The Maple Leafs will be tight against the cap, so moving out a cost-controlled defender with term doesn't make much sense if they want to maintain flexibility. At this point in time, Benoit will not be able to get you a large return worth taking. This alone should provide enough for the Maple Leafs to keep his rights, and at the very least, ride out his contract. Lots of injuries come up throughout the season, and having cheap, reliable depth players is essential."
"Benoit's role on Toronto's defence core has become more important than many realize. His point totals won't jump out at you, but he can play a physical brand of hockey, which fits within the Craig Berube mould, contributes to penalty killing, and brings size that is difficult to replace throughout the season. We saw this best during the 2024-25 playoffs as he was able to log long, hard minutes, playing just under 19 minutes per night."
The Maple Leafs are transitioning into sellers at the trade deadline with a small untouchable group and most roster players available. Simon Benoit is under a three-year extension through 2026-27 at a $1.35 million cap hit, making him cost-controlled and valuable for cap flexibility. Benoit provides reliable, heavy minutes, physical play, penalty killing, and size, and he logged nearly 19 minutes per night in the 2024-25 playoffs. Moving him would likely yield a poor return and create a defensive depth gap amid inevitable injuries. Keeping Benoit preserves dependable depth for contention next season.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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