"The 2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs season is coming fast but before the games truly matter, we at Editor In Leaf are taking a look at one player everyday until the puck is dropped, and what we could expect from them this time around. Simon Benoit has overall been a positive addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs since he joined the team in the 2023-24 season. Last season the 27 year-old solidified his spot as a consistent depth defenseman."
"What did we see from Benoit last season? Benoit spent most of last season paired with left-shooting defenceman Jake McCabe. The pairing proved to be successful, with similar styles of play that complimented each other. The pair had a more shut-down defensive role, rather than also being tasked with generating offense chances. Benoit plays a physical game standing at six foot four and 209 pounds. He is not a flashy player by any means, but his teammates and coaches can rely on him to get the job done."
"He had consistent game time throughout the season and played 79 games with an average of 16:32 minutes on the ice. When number two is on the ice, generally, the team around him performs well, with a plus/minus of plus-12. When Chris Tanev's defensive partner Oliver Ekman-Larsson was out with injury, Benoit moved up to take his place. This along with other moves proved that the defenseman was more versatile and could be switched around in the lineup, without shaking his game. As mentioned, physicality is a main aspect of the francophone's game, with 59 penalty minutes last season. This was the second highest penalty minutes on the team, just behind Max Domi with 76 minutes. Some of the penalties Benoit took were unnecessary to the game, and led to a greater disadvantage to the team. This season, he needs to improve on drawing penalties, rather than taking them."
Simon Benoit has been a positive addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs since joining in 2023-24 and solidified his role as a consistent depth defenseman. He spent most of the season partnered with left-shooting Jake McCabe in a shut-down defensive role focused on limiting chances rather than generating offense. Benoit plays a physical game at six foot four and 209 pounds and logged 79 games with an average of 16:32 minutes and a plus-12 rating. He demonstrated lineup versatility by stepping up during injuries. He recorded 59 penalty minutes and must work on drawing rather than taking penalties.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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