Confirmed deal : Maple Leafs Already Have Trade Plans for Matt Benning

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs actively sought trade options for Timothy Liljegren throughout the offseason, but interest around the league was limited. Because the San Jose Sharks were the only team that stepped up and Toronto needed to make a move, the Leafs took on the contract of defenseman Matt Benning. He’s a decent depth piece and the Leafs won’t mind having him, but it sounds like they have trade plans already for the veteran blueliner.

LeBrun explained, “I know a lot of people who look at this deal and say ‘Really, that’s it?’” He noted that the Maple Leafs explored nearly every NHL team before reaching a deal with the Sharks. This ongoing effort to move Liljegren wasn’t a recent decision—it had been in motion since before training camp. Taking Benning and his contract back was part of the deal

Despite the Leafs signing Liljegren to a two-year contract over the summer in an effort to make the contract as tradeable as possible, the response from potential trade partners remained lukewarm, with San Jose emerging as the only serious contender. “Even in-season, this was a pretty lukewarm market. There just wasn’t a lot of interest,” LeBrun noted.