SAN JOSE, CA - San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks ) General Manager Mike Grier announced today that the club has signed defenseman Matt Benning to a four-year contract.

"Matt is a steady, veteran defensemen who plays with a physical edge and can chip in offensively," said Grier. "His age and style of play fit well with our existing group. 

Benning, 28, has spent the past two seasons with the Nashville Predators. Last season, he posted 11 assists and 39 penalty minutes in 65 games, averaging 16:20 minutes of ice time. 

In 366 NHL games with Edmonton and Nashville, the six-foot-one, 203-pound native of Edmonton, Alberta has scored 76 points (16 goals, 60 assists) and picked up 195 penalty minutes. 

He was originally drafted by Boston in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

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