The Toronto Maple Leafs were primed to make some sort of moves as a couple of players are ready to come off long-term injured reserve. Matt Benning is set to participate in his first practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. The 30-year-old defenseman will wear No. 55, previously worn by Mark Giordano. Benning has worn No. 83 with the Edmonton Oilers and previously wore No, 5 with the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. The No. 5 has been long retired by the Maple Leafs in honor of Bill Barilko. Benning was acquired by the Maple Leafs on Wednesday along with a 2025 third-round draft pick and a 2026 sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Timothy Liljegren. This trade allowed the Leafs to free up $1.75 million in salary cap space. With defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (knee) and forward Connor Dewar (shoulder) possibly nearing activation, Benning’s spot on the 23-man roster may be temporary, as the team could potentially flip him in another deal. They might also waive him and assign him to the Toronto Marlies to make room for Hakanpaa or Dewar. Alternatively, both Hakanpaa and Dewar could remain on long-term injured reserve while taking conditioning stints with the Marlies. Now in his ninth NHL season, Benning had no points in seven games with the San Jose Sharks, where he averaged 13:02 of ice time. If the Maple Leafs eventually waive him for assignment to the Marlies, only $100,000 of his $1.25 million salary would count against the team’s cap, as $1.15 million can be buried in the minors.
