Once again it’s that time of year here on Defending Big D where we take a look at each player that suited up for 20 or more games this season (and finished the season with the team) – and take a look back at their season. What was good about it, what wasn’t so good, and the lasting impression they left us as we go into summer.
Key Stat: 700,000
The Stars have a very solid bottom pairing defender locked up for the next two years at a cap hit of 700,000 per year.
The Good:
When Jordie Benn is going well he looks the part of a second pairing guy. He can skate. He is poised with the puck in his own end which allows him to find the simple play to quickly move the puck from his own end into the attacking zone. He scored a career high 20 points in 78 games in 2014. Ruff never really sheltered him defensively.
Defensemen tend to develop later than forwards. Jordie turns 27 in July. If you squint you could see him taking one more step forward to be the second pairing guy all of the time.
The Bad:
The bad exists, and it is bad. Benn can be prone to crazy turnovers and poor defensive coverage. These situations were much more frequent in the 2013 campaign.That calmed down significantly as this season moved along, but it still happened. The Nick Bonino overtime game winning goal in game six of the opening round series against the Ducks is a good example. The goal was far from only his fault, but defensively it was a train wreck.
Jordie might not have been the lead car, but he was near the front.
Bottom Line:
For me, it’s hard to complain about a solid player under contract for two more years at barely above the league minimum salary. He has his ups. He has his downs. Somewhere in the middle is a pretty solid player that helps solidify the mid to back end of the Stars roster at a reasonable salary.
Vote now: Rate Jordie on a scale of A to F (A being the best of course) based on his performance relative to his potential and your expectations for the season.
How would you rate Jordie Benn’s 2014 season?
| A | 132 |
| B | 425 |
| C | 160 |
| D | 9 |
| F | 2 |