Observations:

January 2018 – Coming into this season, expectations weren’t exactly high for Benning but the hope was that he would take positive strides forward and challenge Nurse and Russell for a top four spot on the Oilers while Sekera was out with injury. Unfortunately for the young rearguard, things haven’t gone as planned and he has appeared to have regressed compared to his rookie season. He doesn’t generate a lot of offence so his lacklustre play in the defensive zone is starting to cause him to move lower and lower down on the depth chart. He is now challenging Brandon Davidson, who the Oilers recently brought back, for the number six spot on the defence core. Davidson appears to have the edge at this point due to  more reliable defensive game, his willingness to play with a physical edge and his ability to make the simple play when under pressure. Benning will need to have a very strong final couple months of the season if he hopes to continue seeing ice time with the Edmonton Oilers. Jameson Ewasiuk

November 2016 – Benning made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was paired alongside Darnell Nurse and finished the game with a plus-1 rating in 13:51 time on ice. Brayden Sully

August 2016 – The Edmonton Oilers continue their college signing overhaul with another highly touted player in Matt Benning. The Northeastern defender has decided to sign with his hometown team growing up and begin his professional career with the Bakersfield Condors. Coming off of an impressive season that saw him rack up 19PTS in 41 games, Benning will be looking to make a solid first impression on his new organizations in this coming season.  Benning is known to be a spectacular puck distributor with a great hockey sense, with a lot to like in his defensive game. Benning will fit in perfectly with the Oilers prospect system where he will join a small group of defenders with a right handed shot. I don’t see Benning as a call-up option for this upcoming season with all the high caliber defenders the Oilers already have awaiting a call up, but I do see him taking a lot of step towards being a serviceable defender in the NHL one day. Brayden Sullivan

Fantasy Outlook: C

Bottom pairing defenseman that is at his best when he plays a simple, quiet game. Doesn’t excel at any one specific facet of the game. 

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