Benson last suited up in the NHL in the 2022-23 campaign. A 2016 second-round pick, he never really caught on in Edmonton despite showing some intriguing offensive upside at the AHL level.

In 38 career appearances, Benson only managed a paltry three points (one goal, two assists) and never got any looks higher up in the lineup, averaging just 8:46 per game. But he was a high-end offensive threat for their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield for several years. The Edmonton native turned heads in his first professional season, impressing with 66 points in 68 games in 2018-19 in his first minor-league go-around after completing his major junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants. He continued to hover around a point per game with Bakersfield while getting a few NHL call-ups until 2022-23 when he turned out just five goals and 23 points in 43 appearances.

By the time the 2023 offseason rolled around, he had turned 25, and with only those 38 NHL games under his belt, he was eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency. The Oilers didn’t bring him back, and no other NHL offers came his way. Benson settled for an AHL contract with the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ affiliate. He failed to rediscover his game there, again limited to just five goals with 20 assists for 25 points in 52 games, barely cracking the top 10 in team scoring.

It’s been a sharp fall from grace for Benson over the past couple of seasons, a trend he’ll now look to reverse in Sweden. Regarded as a high-energy playmaker who’s effective on the forecheck when he’s on his game, he joins a MoDo club headlined by ex-Avalanche winger Sampo Ranta. They’re off to a horrid 2-10-1-3 start and appear well on their way to being relegated back to the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan after being promoted in 2023. However, they hope Benson’s acquisition could help get them out of the basement.

Benson’s injury came at a tough time for the 24-year-old who figured to make the team out of training camp as an effective low-cost depth forward. The winger has been working to establish himself as a regular in the Oilers lineup, playing in 29 games with the team last season. With Edmonton facing a tough salary cap situation this season, getting Benson back healthy won’t necessarily have the impact getting Evander Kane back in the lineup would, but should give the team an affordable player capable of playing NHL minutes.

At issue for Benson, a former second-round pick of the Oilers, is his production. In those 29 games last season, the winger had just two points, despite being an offensive force down in the AHL. In 18 games with Bakersfield last season, Benson had 12 points, as well as 36 points in 36 games the year prior, and a career-high 66 points in 68 games back in 2018-19. Edmonton’s need for affordable depth should give Benson another chance to prove he belongs at this level even after this injury setback, but he’ll likely need to shine this time around.

More from the Pacific:

• Still with the Oilers, they’ll be without winger Tyler Benson for a little while with the team not sure how much time he’ll miss, notes Daily Faceoff’s Jason Gregor (Twitter link). On its own, a player on the fringes of the roster missing time isn’t typically notable in itself but as PuckPedia points out (Twitter link), Benson was on Edmonton’s roster long enough last season to have his cap hit count in full instead of being prorated through season-opening IR.  With cap space at a premium for Edmonton, having Benson count in full to start the year if he’s only going to miss a couple of weeks certainly won’t help things.
• While it’s not set in stone just yet, Kraken GM Ron Francis told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link) that he believes Shane Wright will spend the full season in the NHL. Seattle took the center fourth overall back in July which came as a surprise to many as he was viewed as the projected top selection for most of the season.  With Matthew Beniers, Yanni Gourde, and Jared McCann all ahead of him down the middle on the depth chart, Wright might not get a lot of playing time early on but that will also allow him to be eased in from a development perspective which, in the long run, might be ideal for the 18-year-old.

Quinney did not return to last night’s game after taking a high hit from Carcone. He immediately left the ice after the hit and went to the team’s dressing room near the end of the second period. Carcone received a penalty on the play. A 26-year-old minor-league veteran, Carcone played his first 21 NHL games last year with the Coyotes, registering six points.

• There’s some good news and bad news on the injury front for the Edmonton Oilers. TSN’s Jason Gregor reports that winger Kailer Yamamoto is banged up, but that his injury is nothing serious and he could be ready for the team’s final preseason game on Friday. However, winger Tyler Benson isn’t so lucky, as Gregor reports he’ll be out “longer” and the team will know more in the coming days. Benson was a candidate to find a spot in the team’s bottom-six out of camp.
• The Montreal Canadiens provided a medical update today, saying captain Nick Suzuki is remaining in Montreal for treatment along with forwards Joel Armia and Emil Heineman. All three have upper-body injuries and, Suzuki is listed as day-to-day. The Canadiens say the trio will be reevaluated on Monday, two days ahead of the season opener.

The 24-year-old spent most of last season with Edmonton but had a limited role.  Benson suited up in 29 games with the Oilers but managed just one goal and one assist while averaging 8:33 per game.  With the team needing to free up some cap and roster space to facilitate their eventual trade deadline acquisitions, Benson was placed on waivers in mid-March and passed through, allowing him to be assigned to AHL Bakersfield.  Benson was much more productive with the Condors as he had a dozen points in 18 contests, allowing him to finish up the season on somewhat of a better note.

Benson opted not to file for salary arbitration last month and with a one-year, two-way deal being the eventual outcome, the decision to not go that route isn’t particularly surprising.  He’ll get a chance to earn a roster spot again with Edmonton in training camp where having a cap hit of the league minimum will certainly work in his favor.  However, with how he performed last season, the Oilers will be less hesitant to put him on waivers this time around so he will need to impress in the preseason to avoid being on waivers in early October.

March 16: The Montreal Canadiens have placed Mathieu Perreault on waivers, as several players currently on injured reserve get closer to returning. He won’t be alone though, as the Edmonton Oilers have also waived Tyler Benson.

Perreault, 34, actually cleared waivers last season as well, though at that point it was more about his expensive cap hit than anything else. This time the veteran forward is signed for just $950K but has found himself out of the lineup for most of the year, due to injury or inconsistent on-ice play. In 18 games he has just three goals and five points, though that does include an assist in last night’s match against the Arizona Coyotes.

While he may intrigue some teams because of the 700 games of NHL experience, Perreault is long past the point of being a top-six contributor and would likely only fit as a depth piece on a contending squad. Even in Montreal he hasn’t been a regular and is averaging fewer than 12 minutes when he does get into the lineup.

Benson meanwhile is sort of on the other end of his career, unable to break into the league in the first place. The 24-year-old has been outstanding in the minors for several years, was the 32nd overall pick in 2016, and yet can’t seem to make an impact at the NHL level. In 29 games this season he has just two points, and is likely headed back to the AHL to make room for Jesse Puljujarvi should he clear tomorrow.

While Benson does have youth on his side, it’s very unclear at this point whether another team wants to give him a chance through the waivers process. Interestingly enough, clearing waivers actually could potentially raise his trade value for any deadline dealing the Oilers have in mind, as he would then be able to move up and down for any acquiring team instead of sitting on the NHL roster.

More COVID news from around the NHL:

• Sabres winger Tage Thompson and center Peyton Krebs have both cleared COVID protocol, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Thompson will suit up tonight in Detroit while they will take it a little slower with Krebs and re-assess his status on Sunday.
• Blackhawks winger Brett Connolly has entered COVID protocol, relays John Dietz of the Daily Herald (Twitter link). The veteran has only played in four games with Chicago this season and has spent most of the year in the minors.  Defenseman Ian Mitchell was recalled from AHL Rockford just a day after being sent down.
• The Capitals announced (Twitter link) that winger Conor Sheary has been placed in COVID protocol. The 29-year-old has impressed in his second season in Washington, notching ten goals and nine assists in 31 games, good for third on the team in goals.
• The Oilers have taken wingers Warren Foegele and Tyler Benson plus defenseman Slater Koekkoek out of COVID protocol, mentions Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels (Twitter link). With those activations, Edmonton – who last played on January 5th – will be able to dress 18 skaters against Ottawa tonight.
• The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have removed winger Tim Stutzle from COVID protocol. The just-turned 20-year-old has had a bit of a quieter sophomore season than expected, collecting five goals and ten assists in 29 games.
• The Blue Jackets have placed center Cole Sillinger in COVID protocol, per a team release.  The rookie has held down a regular spot in the lineup with Columbus this season, notching 13 points in 35 games.  Liam Foudy has been recalled from the taxi squad to take Sillinger’s place on the roster.

Nov 7: Edmonton Oilers forward Devin Shore will be out four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, per Tom Gazzola of TSN and NHL Network.

Shore had bounced around the Oilers’ bottom-six forward group so far this season but stayed mostly in a fourth-line role. He’d scored a goal and an assist through eight games, averaging just 8:37 per game.

Tyler Benson and Colton Sceviour are the two extra forwards on Edmonton’s active roster. They’ll both likely get opportunities to draw into the lineup in Shore’s absence. Neither have them have registered a point this year in three and two games, respectively.

Shore signed a two-year, $1.7MM extension with the team on June 9, prior to the opening of free agency. The 27-year-old forward has struggled to maintain a regular spot in an NHL lineup over the past three seasons after playing all 82 games in his first two full NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Given his timeline, Shore is likely to miss between 12 and 19 games.

It’s been five years now since Benson was selected 32nd overall by the Oilers, and despite very strong minor league numbers he still has just seven games played at the NHL level. This season the young forward started the season playing in Switzerland, before re-joining the Bakersfield Condors when the AHL season got underway. In 36 regular season games with the Condors, he once again put up big numbers, scoring ten goals and 36 points.

There’s never really been a question about Benson’s offensive upside at the AHL level, but he has failed to ever really grab an NHL roster spot and run with it. He’ll likely get another chance at training camp this season, battling with players like Brendan Perlini for the last few spots. This time, there’s a big difference in his favor–Benson is no longer waiver-exempt.

That means the Oilers would need to risk him to the rest of the league in order to send him to the minor leagues, and though waiver claims are relatively infrequent, a 23-year-old point-per-game AHL player would likely attract some interest. If there was ever a chance to have the best training camp of your career, it’s now for Benson.

• The Vancouver Canucks have sent Loui Eriksson to the taxi squad and recalled Justin Bailey. Given Eriksson didn’t play last night for the Canucks this doesn’t come as much of a surprise and it will allow the team to bank slightly more daily cap space. Eriksson previously cleared waivers and could also be assigned to the AHL once it gets started.
• Stuart Skinner has been recalled from the Edmonton Oilers taxi squad under emergency conditions, giving the team an extra goaltender for tonight’s action. Evan Bouchard meanwhile has been sent to the taxi squad, while Tyler Benson, who had previously been there, has now been assigned to the AHL.
• Staying in Western Canada, the Calgary Flames have activated Derek Ryan from the taxi squad as expected, but he’s coming with some company. The team has also activated Louis Domingue who will serve as backup this evening while David Rittich deals with a family issue. With the extra space, Artyom Zagidulin has been added to the taxi squad from the AHL roster.
• The Nashville Predators have recalled Cole Smith from the taxi squad while sending Lukas Craggs to the AHL. Craggs already played in eight games for the Florida Everblades, recording nine points early in the season but will now compete for playing time with the Chicago Wolves. Smith, who also played a handful of games for the Everblades to start the year, is in his first season of professional hockey after being signed out of the University of North Dakota.
• The Winnipeg Jets have brought up a pair of players as Mathieu Perreault and Logan Stanley were recalled from the taxi squad.  Perreault cleared waivers earlier in the week so they will have the ability to shuffle him back and forth until he plays in 10 NHL games or is on the NHL roster for 30 days.  Stanley, meanwhile, was a first-round pick back in 2016 but has yet to suit up with the Jets.  Winnipeg also recalled defenseman Leon Gawanke from his loan to Berlin of the DEL.
• The Montreal Canadiens assigned Jake Evans to the taxi squad.  He played a little under nine minutes in last night’s season-opener but with them off until the weekend, they’ll shuffle him down and bank a little bit of cap space.  The team has already announced its intent to recall him for their next game on Saturday.

Benson, 22, is different from many of the prospects that have been sent overseas, as he already has two full professional seasons under his belt. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has already become a star for the Bakersfield Condors, recording 105 points in 120 regular season games since debuting in the AHL. While he’s not a huge goal scorer, his offensive creativity and playmaking ability is almost unmatched at the minor league level.

The biggest question for Benson will always be his below-average skating ability and whether or not it limits him at the next level. That will have to be answered in his next NHL opportunity, but for now, he can go and continue to work on his explosiveness and two-way game in the structured Swiss system. Given that he’ll be playing in their second league though, you can bet that Benson’s offensive ability will shine through.

While the release does not indicate his return date, Benson is likely to get a shot at cracking the NHL roster whenever camps open. On the last year of his entry-level deal, he’s earned an opportunity with the Oilers.

• The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014.  His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis.  The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
• After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
• Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
• CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
• The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
• The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
• With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
• The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
• The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
• The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.

Saturday: The AHL announced another change to the AHL All-Star roster as Belleville Senators forward Alex Formenton will replace teammate Josh Norris for the North Division.

Wednesday: The league has made another adjustment, selecting Cameron Gaunce from the Syracuse Crunch to replace Lawrence Pilut of the Rochester Americans. Pilut’s absence likely means he’ll be re-joining the Buffalo Sabres after the break.

Tuesday: The AHL All-Star Game is also just around the corner, but thanks to some midseason call-ups the rosters will have to change. Today the minor league announced five swaps for their upcoming event in Ontario, California. Vinni Lettieri (Hartford), Josh Norris (Belleville), Adam Clendening (Cleveland), Alex Nedeljkovic (Charlotte) and Vitek Vanacek (Hershey) have all been added to the game, while Nathan Gerbe (Cleveland), Michael Sgarbossa (Hershey), Rasmus Sandin (Toronto), Chris Driedger (Springfield) and Igor Shesterkin (Hartford) will all no longer be attending.

The full rosters are now as follows:

Atlantic Division:

Andrew Agozzino, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers
Paul Carey, Providence Bruins
Morgan Frost, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Joey Keane, Hartford Wolf Pack
Vinni Lettieri, Hartford Wolf Pack
Matt Moulson, Hershey Bears (Captain)
Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers
Jack Studnicka, Providence Bruins
Owen Tippett, Springfield Thunderbirds
Vitek Vanacek, Hershey Bears

North Division:

Joey Anderson, Binghamton Devils
Rudolfs Balcers, Belleville Senators
Alex Barre-Boulet, Syracuse Crunch
Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
Adam Clendening, Cleveland Monsters
Charles Hudon, Laval Rocket
Jonas Johansson, Rochester Americans
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Toronto Marlies
Josh Norris, Belleville Senators
Lawrence Pilut, Rochester Americans
Brogan Rafferty, Utica Comets

Central Division:

Alexandre Carrier, Milwaukee Admirals
Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves
Matthew Ford, Grand Rapids Griffins (Captain)
Jansen Harkins, Manitoba Moose
Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals
Kevin Lankinen, Rockford IceHogs
Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars
Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild
Brennan Menell, Iowa Wild
Derrick Pouliot, San Antonio Rampage
Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins
Yakov Trenin, Milwaukee Admirals

Pacific Division:

Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors
Joachim Blichfeld, San Jose Barracuda
Brayden Burke, Tucson Roadrunners
Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
Kale Clague, Ontario Reign
Martin Frk, Ontario Reign
Glenn Gawdin, Stockton Heat
Lane Pederson, Tucson Roadrunners
Calvin Petersen, Ontario Reign
Anthony Stolarz, San Diego Gulls
T.J. Tynan, Colorado Eagles
Chris Wideman, San Diego Gulls

Benson was Edmonton’s second round pick (32nd overall) back in June.  The Edmonton native had long been touted as a first rounder but an injury-plagued 2015-16 season (he played in just 30 games) certainly didn’t help his draft stock.

This season, Benson leads his junior team, the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, in scoring with 40 points (10-30-40) in 31 games.  As has been the case with several young prospects who have signed recently, unless Benson plays in ten or more games with the Oilers this season, his contract will actually ‘slide’ a year with the team receiving a small reduction in his salary cap charge.

Other notes from around the league:

• Per a team release, the Arizona Coyotes have assigned defenseman Kevin Connauton to their AHL affiliate in Tucson on a conditioning assignment. Connauton has played just twice this month and only nine times this season as he has predominantly been the seventh defenseman for Arizona.
• Canucks left winger Alex Burrows will play in his 800th game tonight against Anaheim. All of those games have come in a Vancouver uniform and once he suits up, he’ll be only the sixth player in franchise history to play in 800 games for the Canucks.  The 35 year old has been an effective bottom six player this season with 14 points (6-8-14) in 32 games and has 378 points (190-188-378) through his first 799 contests.
• The Flyers will make rookie winger Travis Konecny a healthy scratch tonight, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The timing is a little strange as Konecny is coming off a two assist game but head coach Dave Hakstol wants to see his play improve without the puck on his stick.  Left winger Michael Raffl will return to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game with a lower body injury and slot in on the top line while defenseman Radko Gudas is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
• The NHL has drafted two versions of the 2017-18 schedule with the uncertainty surrounding their participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics, notes Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter links).  As a result, the league is no longer imposing any deadline on the decision regarding whether they will or won’t be participating.  However, the IOC is still hoping for a decision by January 15th.