The Edmonton Oilers have a gem in defenseman Matt Benning.
Despite being the subject of criticism over the course of 2018-19, the 25-year-old truly was one of Edmonton's better blueliners. And as he enters a contract year, he's quietly making a strong case to stick around — and even earn more ice time to boot.
He spent the majority of his time on the bottom-pairing last season, playing alongside a carousel of blueliners including Jason Garrison and Andrej Sekera, both of whom are no longer in Edmonton. He finished with five goals and 17 points in 70 games and finished with a team-leading plus/minus rating of plus-11 while skating an average of roughly 15 minutes per game.
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However, the Edmonton native's 49 giveaways and mistakes in his own zone made him a scapegoat among fans throughout the regular season.
While some advanced stat believers quickly dismiss plus/minus, it's important in this case; the Oilers finished with a goal differential of minus-42 (ranked 24th), so the fact that he finished with a positive rating is rather impressive and shows that he is an underrated member of Edmonton's core. When it does come to advanced statistics, he's actually boasted a positive relative Corsi throughout his three seasons in the NHL (1.5), as per Hockey Reference.
Beyond that, though, a true way to judge a player is through his on-ice play. Sure, he is subject to making questionable decisions at times, and he's also not the biggest guy. However, he has stepped up his game in a number of ways, especially toward the tail-end of last year.
Benning has a strong work ethic and is a coachable player, and actually does a decent job when it comes to puck possession and getting the puck up ice. Coupling that with strong vision and passing, he can start the breakout and create space for himself and his teammates.
Additionally, he has one of the stronger point shots on the team and doesn't shy away from getting pucks on net. Defensively, he battles hard for the puck and plays a competitive game, and at times, the 6-1, 203-pounder can display physicality or throw the occasional crushing hit (though he's not primarily a physical defenseman).
MATT BENNING HAMMERS HOME THE SLAP SHOT!#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/UDbKz1Wu0N
— Hockey Daily #StickTogether (@HockeyDaily365) March 12, 2019
The fact that he's also made the most of limited ice time just goes to show his ability.
In a way, he's been the player that the Oilers have been on the hunt for quite some time: an offensive-minded RHD who performs well at both ends of the rink.
He is set to play in the final year of his contract come fall but does face some competition heading into training camp; Edmonton possesses a lot of depth on the right-hand side, and 22-year-olds Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones could make a strong push for a full-time roster spot this season.
In the end, though, Benning deserves more recognition and could earn more ice time this season, especially under new head coach Dave Tippett.