It’s unclear whether the vast majority of Toronto Maple Leafs supporters, or just the loudest ones, are ardent Simon Benoit fans. Certainly, he epitomizes a certain something that appeals to individuals who enjoy hockey but find it difficult to root for guys like William Nylander.
What is certain, however, is that traditional hockey fans adore the defense-only open-ice-hitting stay-at-home defenseman, regardless of what the statistics says about their effectiveness.
Unfortunately, while huge hits and a tendency to hurl your face in front of pucks will always endear players to fans, if those players are unable to produce offense, they are rendered ineffective.
So, while I’ve liked watching Simon Benoit play for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, he’s hardly a top-six player on an elite blue line, and the Leafs must improve.
The unfortunate truth about a fan favorite: defense-only players are useless.
Benoit went from being one of the worst players in the NHL last year to being part of the Leafs’ top four.
And his numbers are fine; the Leafs break even with him on the ice in terms of puck possession, taking 54% of shots and 54% of projected goals.
These figures are satisfactory, if not excellent.
However, a closer examination reveals certain concerns.
Benoit is by far one of the NHL’s lowest-event players. There is basically no offense when he is on the ice. Because he blocks so many shots, his average possession stats convert into excellent shot numbers.
The problem is that while you are also suppressing your own team’s offensive, you must be flawless defensively in order to have any impact. If your side does not score when you play, all goals conceded are amplified.
This year, Benoit’s 5v5 record is 12-12, with a 93% save percentage. No matter how counterintuitive it may seem, defensemen have little effect on save percentage, and Benoit is unlikely to maintain a 93% save percentage, implying that he will become considerably less successful over time. (figures from naturalstrattrick.com).
Benoit, like other similar defensemen such as Bogosian, Schenn, Polak, and Gudbranson, is completely incapable of moving the puck, which sabotages the aspect of the game in which he excels.
Benoit has played roughly 20% of Auston Matthews’ minutes, and the Leafs are losing those minutes, which is an issue.
It took nearly 20 years, but most hockey fans now recognize that offensive defensemen like Erik Karlsson are the finest defenders because they cannot be scored on while their team has the ball. The most effective defense is offensive.
Benoit has the second greatest defense, but when you don’t score, it takes numerous games of immaculate defense to offset a single goal against.
When discussing this, someone always suggests skating the offensively terrible player with an offensively exceptional player, but this is not effective. All you end up doing is putting Benoit on the ice with your greatest offensive players, which limits their ability to do what they do best. (Refer to the line regarding Matthews above).
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In the dead puck era, Benoit would have thrived. Unfortunately, he is not designed for today’s game, and if the Leafs continue to play him as anything more than a #7, they will eventually pay the price.
