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Matty Beniers: if the Habs want a perfect center for Ivan Demidov, they must talk to the Kraken
Félix Forget
Matty Beniers: if the Habs want a perfect center for Ivan Demidov, they must talk to the Kraken
Credit: The question of the famous second center in Montreal is undoubtedly the most talked-about issue of the coming month. We’ve seen this year that Nick Suzuki, as good as he is, needs help… and with Ivan Demidov playing the whole of next season in town, finding him his center is a must. The problem, though, […]
The question of the famous second center in Montreal is undoubtedly the most talked-about issue of the coming month. We’ve seen this year that Nick Suzuki, as good as he is, needs help… and with Ivan Demidov playing the whole of next season in town, finding him his center is a must.

The problem, though, is that the Habs are far from the only team that wants a center… and few teams are willing to sell a player who might be what the Habs are looking for. So it’s not necessarily likely that the club will find a solution to this problem this summer.

But obviously, that would be the goal… and there’s one name that’s been on my mind for a long time: Matty Beniers.

And that’s why seeing Marco D’Amico, who held a Q&A session on Reddit tonight, bring up Beniers’ name as the kind of center that would be perfect for Demidov, it caught my attention.

He put him in the same category as Anton Lundell, another name that has come up recently.

Beniers is a 22-year-old left-handed center (he’ll be 23 this November) who has been rolling with the Kraken for the past few years. He’s signed until 2031 at just over $7 million a year… and when you look at all that, you wonder why the Kraken would trade him.

Beniers has been a bit stagnant offensively since his NHL debut. After a 57-point campaign in his rookie year (which won him the Calder Trophy, by the way), he’s managed just 37 and 43 points in his last two seasons.

That leaves something to be desired for a player who earns $7 million a year… especially since the Kraken is also banking on Jared McCann, as well as Shane Wright, who will eventually make the move to Seattle. And it makes you wonder if the Kraken might suddenly be tempted to part with Beniers to improve elsewhere.

So, if the Habs are willing to pay the big price, there’s an option in Seattle that’s the ideal prototype for his second-center role. His production is a little worrisome, but playing with a guy like Ivan Demidov could help him get back to the player he was at the start of his career.

And he’s also an excellent defensive player who wins face-offs: for the Habs, who are in desperate need of a left-handed center, Beniers fits the bill on many levels, especially since he’s in the same age bracket as the rest of the core.

I’m not saying that Beniers is coming to Montreal tomorrow morning, far from it. What I am saying is that if the Habs want the second center who ticks all the boxes they’re looking for and could be moved to Ivan Demidov for several years, maybe they could drop the Kraken a line to see if there’s a way to get Beniers out of Seattle.

And maybe in the end, in a way, passing up Shane Wright in the draft could help the Habs get their second center.


Overtime

– Here’s the Senators’ new uniform.

– Stars coach: watch for Alain Nasreddine.

– Vincent Desharnais attended… and it was quite something.

– What do you think?

– Do you agree?

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