After acquiring Adam Larsson from the New Jersey Devils, the Oilers signed NCAA defenseman Matthew Benning to an entry-level contract. Originally, all the deal gave was a glimpse of depth and development in the Oilers’ system. However, he’s since become one of the Oilers biggest assets on defence and has points in four of his last five games.
NCAA to the NHL in a Flash
However, after an impressive training camp, Benning found himself on the opening night roster. He was projected to either be the bottom-pairing RHD, or the seventh defenseman. Of course, where he landed would depend on his performance against teammate (and competition) Eric Gryba.