Edmonton Oilers: Matthew Benning Proving Worth in Lineup

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Matthew Benning may have slotted out a few games, but he has been proving his worth in the lineup.

Currently serving on the bottom-pairing alongside Darnell Nurse, the 22-year-old is stealing a spot from Eric Gryba. However, his performance of late shows that he deserves a jersey night in and night out.

Edmonton Oilers

In his last five games, Benning has one assist and is a plus-4 and has nine hits and six shot blocks. He has been one of the best defenders in the lineup and has been keeping this team in its games.

With Kris Russell finally making his return despite rocky struggles with injury and ailments, Benning had to battle Gryba for a chance to stay in the lineup. He has been going above and beyond and showing his worth as not only a puck mover but as a solid player on the back end.

Prior to his recent surge, Benning had been struggling a bit. He was turning the puck over and getting sluggish in his own zone. Not to mention, he didn’t look good and would allow the opposition to get their fair time offensively. Before this stretch, Benning was a minus-3 through five games. He also had giveaways and a couple of penalty minutes to boot.

However, with the way he has been playing of late, he is showing a complete turnaround. Sometimes, it takes a few games as a healthy scratch to get back on track. Benning has been one of the biggest surprises of this season; the NCAA alum is a right-handed blueliner who has added depth. Additionally, he is one of the reasons why the Oilers’ defence looks a lot better.

There is still plenty of potential and areas for him to grow in, but he has looked solid when it comes to maintaining possession and starting to move the puck. Benning will be a cornerstone i the lineup, and is one of the smartest NCAA signings Chiarelli has made.