Recently Traded Ex-Oiler Waived By New Team

Andreas Athanasiou wasn't the only former Oiler to hit waivers on Monday.

Also waived on Remembrance Day was Athanasiou's former teammate, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Matt Benning.

This news doesn't come as a big surprise. Benning, acquired on October 30th from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for disgruntled defenceman Timothy Liljegren, hadn't dressed for a single game in Toronto since the trade. Since Liljegren was traded in part because he couldn't crack the Leafs lineup, it's perhaps predictable that Benning wouldn't be able to either.

Benning started his NHL career in his home city of Edmonton in 2016-17 after signing with the Oilers as a free agent out of Northeastern University. Benning played 248 games over four seasons in Edmonton, scoring 15 goals and 61 points and establishing himself as a steady third-pair defenceman.

Benning signed with the Nashville Predators as a free agent in 2020, spending two seasons there before signing a four-year, $5 million contract with the Sharks in 2022. He had a career year in his first year in San Jose, notching 24 points in 77 games, but struggled with injuries last season, playing in only 14 games.

Benning played seven games with the Sharks this season before his trade to Toronto, posting 0 points and a -5 line.

In the third year of his four-year contract and carrying a cap hit of $1.25 million, Benning could be an attractive option for a rebuilding team as a no-frills right-shot defensive defenceman with a little bit of term. He could serve as a consolation prize for any teams that were hoping to snatch Dante Fabbro off waivers over the weekend.

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