Is there space for Matt Benning on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ crowded blue line? The 31-year-old defenceman was acquired in last year’s Timothy Liljegren trade with the Sharks, but has yet to appear in a Maple Leafs sweater. Upon his arrival in Toronto, he was sent down on waivers to the Toronto Marlies where he played the remainder of the season, rehabbing after a January hip surgery kept him out of the tail end of the 2023-24 season. Now, he’s looking forward to September’s training camp as he fights to make his return to the big leagues. “I still think I’m an NHL defenceman,” Benning told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. “I didn’t get a chance for a call-up [with the Maple Leafs] but their D core is really good. I don’t blame them. I need a good camp to either impress them or another team before the season starts.” Benning’s journey to Toronto’s blue line will not be an easy one. With Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Christopher Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo and Simon Benoit all pretty much def
