If Edler signs, you definitely have it right.
Without Edler, you have to go with the players at hand as you have done and, by default, Mete-Weber remains as a pairing and the Kulak-Petry pairing is actually a good pairing. However, playing Benn as a LD is not a good idea, even if he is a left shot. He's much worse, strangely enough, on his natural side. Benn, for all intents and purposes, should be considered a RD.
I would not be happy going again with a
Mete / Weber
Kulak / Petry
Benn / Juulsen
D-Corps alignment.
For argument's sake (I don't actually like Gardiner), if Bergevin signed Gardiner as an UFA, my D-Corps alignment would be:
Gardiner - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Mete - Juulsen
even if Gardiner should be a 2nd pairing D and not a 1st pairing D and even of Mete can conceivably aspire to be a 2nd pairing D. In this instance, it would really be a question of better complementary pieces playing together.
I like the chemistry/complementarity between Kulak and Petry, as I do the one between Mete and Juulsen. Gardiner's Petry-like style would be best protected by a pairing partner like weber who could give Gardiner more range with his transition game.
Much stronger D, overall, than throughout this season, IMO, but far from what I would still like to see. gardiner is an example and not the answer.