Craig Berube's Strategy With Leafs Defenseman Is Paying Dividends
Craig Berube's idea to give struggling Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit a rest has seemed to work wonders as he's gotten himself back to his old form.
Last season Simon Benoit was one of Toronto's more consistent defensemen, and showed that he had a lot of potential to be a big player for the years to come.
This season started with a bit of a roadblock and he looked out of sorts for the beginning of the year.
However, Craig Berube decided to give him a mental break and let him rest and for the new father, it was not only desperately needed; but it seemed to have awoken the old Benoit.
Benoit Has Been A Beast Since His Return
It's obvious that Benoit has been a better player since returning and shown new life and motivation by being able to mentally reset and re-focus on hockey. Being a new father is no easy task, and the balance of work and home life takes a toll on anyone, let alone a pro athlete who travels North America constantly.
Two people who have noticed the sudden change in Benoit are JD Bunkis and Sam McKee, as the two analysts spoke on Bunkis' podcast about how much better Benoit has been since being scratched:
A wake-up call seems ironic for a player who needed to rest, however the realization that Benoit was as big a part of this team as anyone else lit a fire under him. Jani Hakanpaa came into the lineup and threatened his spot, but it hasn't faltered Benoit one bit.
This year before being scratched, Benoit had not been hitting nearly as much, or showing as much intensity.
However since being taken out, he's flying around the ice and throwing his weight around, he's blocking shots, and he's added roughly 3 minutes a night to his shift time; a great sign Berube is trusting him more.
It's been an up and down season so far for Simon Benoit, but since returning to the lineup he looks like not only does he have a new outlook on life as a father, but is now focused solely on making sure he does what he can to help Toronto win.
