One of the pool worthy restricted free agent-to-be defensemen has been taken off the board, as the Edmonton Oilers came to terms with Matt Benning on Tuesday, signing the 24-year old defender to a 2-year, $3.8 million deal.Benning played in 73 games for the Oilers last season, scoring 6 goals and 21 points, ranking 90th among all defensemen in scoring, sneaking into the conversation for next season's hockey pool draft.
The Edmonton native was taken in the 2012 entry draft and had been developing in the NCAA, before finally making his debut with the club in the 2017 season. The kid has some very decent size and puck moving abilities, so he was an immediate fit for the team and he could really have some upside with this club.
My early projections for Benning are quite positive, as he could be a big contributor in the 2019 season and could sneak into a sleeper pick role, given his numbers from last season, which should improve into the 35-point range, if all goes well.
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