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Maple Leafs’ Simon Benoit ranks 19th on The Athletic’s trade board
Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2026, 06:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 20, 2026, 12:42 EST
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit ranked 19th on The Athletic’s NHL trade board that was released on Monday.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted that Benoit’s name has started to make the rounds among NHL circles as a player the Leafs are dangling in trade talks. On Benoit, Johnston wrote:
A prototypical defensive defenseman who puts his body on the line by blocking shots and playing opponents physically, Benoit has endured some recent scratches. The Leafs have a number of depth options at the position, and Benoit represents a player who could bring back some value with a cap-friendly contract that runs through next season. That’s the main reason his name has recently started making the rounds. What you see is what you get with Benoit, who has extremely limited offensive impacts.
Benoit is the latest Leaf player who has made an appearance on The Athletic’s trade board this season, after Brandon Carlo and Morgan Rielly made the November trade board, while Matias Maccelli cracked the list for two straight months. Given the team’s inconsistent play throughout the season and the fact that they aren’t guaranteed to make the playoffs, it’s understandable why Leafs players have been prominent in trade boards.
Topping Johnston’s trade board is Artemi Panarin, while other names of note include Nazem Kadri, Dougie Hamilton, and Luke Schenn.
Benoit’s inclusion comes at a time when he has once again struggled to find his footing on a nightly basis, with numerous occasions where he was hemmed in his own end and on for backbreaking goals against. This isn’t a new occurrence for the defenceman, who had a rough go for much of last season before putting it all together in the playoffs, capped off by factoring into two overtime winning goals. The difference this time around is that the Leafs’ backend is quite crowded, while reports suggest that they are looking to add a puck-moving defender.
Benoit has tallied three assists, 104 hits, and 67 blocks in 41 games played so far this season.
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