not sure about Benning, i dont see him as help , as for Miller, VGK is trying to dump, he will come cheap and quality-wise hes replacing Zaitsev who reportedly wants out....

Colin Miller's much better than 3rd pair, easily a top 4 d-man, better than everyone in this lineup except Rielly and Muzzin probably

Does he though? Miller has only once been a top 4 defender and after one season was surpassed by everyone else on his team and was a healthy scratch and a cap dump. He's also making close to 4 million so its not much less than Zaitsev who has at least shown he can be a solid defender and PK guy.

watched colin miller in boston. at this point in his career he is wildy overrated. when vegas went through expansion draft he had top 4 potential. Now he looks like a bottom pairing offensive minded defenseman that can maybe slide up a little bit to cover injuries but isnt your everyday 2nd line d. He makes a bunch of mistakes in the defensive end though.

I think the reasoning behind it is:

-Miller > Zaitsev
-Both are cheaper than Zaitsev, and fit into your cap issues a bit better.
-Benning is actually sneaky good-I wouldn't say that he's better than Zaitsev, but he's probably around the same level and significantly cheaper. He's probably a bottom pairing guy, but he can certainly slide up into the top 4.

Miller was a healthy scratch mainly because of the depth of D on Vegas. Aside from Theodore and Schmidt, there's no real super-studs down there, but there was a lot of good players, and Turk likes to play everyone instead of having the same guy sleep in the press box every night (ie. Leivo).

I would say that on a good team, Benning plays on the bottom pairing, right side, at maybe 15 minutes a game. It remains to be seen whether or not he can defend consistently, when there is basically no offense to his game whatsoever.

As for Miller, he has upside and I would say is a solid top-4, especially considering his term and cap hit. He is a good, strong and fluid skater, with a great shot and chip in plenty of offense, especially on a second PP unit. I imagine a situation, as a Leaf would you put Muzzin and Miller (M&M's hahaha) on the back-end of a second PP unit. That's 2 potential bombs from the point. He can definitely hit when he wants to, or rather, doesn't shy away from it, and blocks shots as well. He has taken a lot of heat because (a) his first season with Vegas was something he will probably never replicate, especially offensively (b) while Nate Schmidt was out, he was asked to handle the top defensive assignment - it definitely seems like he was overmatched there.

All in all, if the Leafs could find a way to move Brown and Zaitsev, and using other assets like picks and Bracco, for example, turn that into Josh Manson (the hardest of the lot to acquire), Miller and Benning, that would be a pretty solid revamped right-side for the Leafs D.

What beyond the season before last has shown him to be anything other than a bottom pair defenceman? He was a healthy scratch last season. He's 26 so its not like he's still a young player finding his legs.

Which is what I see as well, that is not at all an upgrade over Zaitsev who at the very least doesn't make many mistakes in his end.

Cheap and available and buy time for recent first rounder defenseman to develop into what is needed

Benning is only talked about because of the rumours from the deadline. In reality, it makes very little sense for Toronto to trade Brown for Benning.

As for Miller, he makes a ton of sense and has a lot of connection to Toronto. He was a top 4 guy before this last season where he struggled but he definitely has the ability to bounce back. He has a history of good analytics which the Leafs management values highly. Toronto was connected to rumours about interest in him at the Vegas expansion draft but nothing materialized. Miller player for Dubas in Sault St. Marie in junior. Add in the he's on a great valued contract for a top 4 right handed d-man and that's exactly what Toronto needs, and it makes all the sense in the world to go get him. People on here seem to think that he'll come at a cheaper price because of Vegas' cap issue. They're not totally wrong but they're not right either. Vegas' cap affects the value, but with how much he'll be in demand, the Knights will still get a good return for him. For Toronto it probably starts at Bracco and a 2nd round pick. Maybe 1 more piece added into it. But it's worth looking at IMO

Miller would be a #4 d-man in Toronto behind Reilly, Muzzin, and Dermott actually

So from Boston fans I am hearing that Miller is decent offensively but bad in his own end. Definitely a 3rd pair guy on a team than needs a puck mover and PP guy. The Leafs don't need that, so in what way is he better than a defensively responsible Zaitsev?

This just reeks of media driven false public perception where enough people have said he's good so that means he's good.

As for Benning, sneaky good when his team is terrible doesn't sound like something that computes. Edmonton's defence is terrible, Nurse and Klefbom are the only two that have any really value. Larsson is a slightly better version of Zaitsev but that's it. If Benning is behind those 3 then he's not at all an answer in TO. He makes too much and the Leafs have equal players in Borgman and Rosen.

Again I just don't get how many people just blindly follow the mob and assume stuff without looking into it at all.

Ask @SammyT_51, as a Bruins fan I'd love to see Miller on the Leafs. Such an overrated d-man because he and the rest of Vegas overachieved. Good offensive skill set, but defensively he's lost in his own zone most of the time. Either that or he goes for a hit and it pulls him out of position, leaving his d-partner high and dry.

Please Toronto trade for Miller and while your at it grab Hamilton too

So Miller is better than Zaitsev because he had one good offensive season he won't be able to replicate and can't handle facing top opposition. Something Zaitsev has done adequately enough, him and Muzzin were very good against Boston's top line in the playoffs this year. Zaitsev make over half a million more a year than Miller but beyond that, it doesn't seem like Miller has any advantage and in reality doesn't look like a better fit than Zaitsev since it would be a step down defensively than what Zaitsev brings to the table.

Benning being a bottom pair defender making a million and a half that has no offence and has a hope to eventually adequately defend at the NHL level certainly seems like a poor investment when that can essentially be the scouting report for Borgman or Rosen who are both much cheaper.

So why not just keep Zaitsev and use Rosen or Borgman on the bottom pair instead of Benning and Miller who will cost assets to obtain.

So far there has been exactly zero good points made as to why he's an upgrade over Zaitsev beyond a tad cheaper and less term. In fact, its been pointed out he's not overly good defensively, so would he not be 5th in TO since a defensively sound player would play tougher minutes? Something that Miller failed to do in vegas.

Thanks for the input sir, these are the exact responses I was hoping for. I see it the same way and would avoid Miller like the plague.

He is scarily overrated. Offensively fine, shot great, defensively as horrible as it gets.. I would like Hutton tbh. He is good defensively and good skater on exits and entries and controls the zone better. Miller is so overrated and many people would be very negatively surprised how bad he would be on Leafs.

Only reason why benning got better is BC he was calmed down after the return of sekera. The whole defense squad got better with his return. But when he was paired with Russell , nurse, anyone else for that matter . He made so many mistakes.. he didn't slow his game down until uncle sekera was back taking care of him. LoL

But the more I think of it. I'd love to see a Benning and brown swap. Similar cap hits, both something each team's need! .. wingers and a rhd.

Can Hutton play his weak side though?

Okey so we are basically two alone within Leafs fans who dont want anything to do with Miller?

Miller can make a breakout pass. Zaitsev can't.

I believe so. With his defensive side of things he should be more than fine with right side next to Rielly. Basically add modern day hockey skills and speed to Hainsey and you have hutton.

That’s what I would do, but it’s looking like a sell low on zaitzev coming, because of Toronto spotlight. Bargain hunt a dman or two on show me contracts would be my only moves this offseason, just so there’s no rush on the kids. Toronto an interesting pressure cooker environment, so hopefully kids are ready when they come up, tough unforgiving market if there’s too many growing pains.

Umm....the Leafs really only need a partner for Rielly, the rest will be internal replacements who are most likely on par with a guy you just said was horrible defensively unless he had a vet to settle him down. Even at that, he still seems to be just an okay 3rd pair guy. Rosen and Borgman are as good or most likely better and will cost half as much as Benning. You can have Brown for a 3rd rounder though.