F Adam Benák - Youngstown Phantoms, USHL (2025 Draft)

[Hockeyville USA]

Benak played 18 games though so can't imagine he gets any less punishment than Willander...

Wish McMahon, Schlossman, or Peters would dive deep into this and give us an answer.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He hasn’t committed anywhere yet either. Is he planning to do so or going CHL route next season?

 

[Czechboy]

He hasn’t committed anywhere yet either. Is he planning to do so or going CHL route next season?

I obviously have no say but I'd want AHL or Europe personally. NCAA would be nice too.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I obviously have no say but I'd want AHL or Europe personally. NCAA would be nice too.

Don’t mean this disrespectfully towards him or in response to you, but hard to believe a less than 1PPG winger is good enough for one of the top 5 pro leagues outside of the NHL.

 

[martygod12]

Don’t mean this disrespectfully towards him or in response to you, but hard to believe a less than 1PPG winger is good enough for one of the top 5 pro leagues outside of the NHL.

What are you talking about, he played in Plzen last year already and showed he is fine playing with men, playing in shitty club or teammates not finishing his chances was not his problem.

He may never play in NHL due to his size, but he will dominate some euro league without problem.

Btw he is 16th in points in USHL, he has 15 points and most productive guy has 21. So really not that much scoring going on in that league and he is not that behind.

Playing in better team he would be top5

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

What are you talking about, he played in Plzen last year already and showed he is fine playing with men, playing in shitty club or teammates not finishing his chances was not his problem.

He may never play in NHL due to his size, but he will dominate some euro league without problem.

I’m sure he’ll be good enough for pro hockey in the next few years, but he had 2 points in 18 games last season. I don’t think that’s what you want to see next season. He should take more gradual steps.

If he doesn’t show some significant improvement, I can’t see how AHL would be the right league for him next season. You need to be like 1PPG, at minimum, in these NA junior leagues to step into AHL the next year and keep a regular lineup spot.

NCAA would be a more gradual step, but he might not want to go down that route or have the grades for it.

 

[martygod12]

And now I am looking that he is second in scoring amongst u18 players in that league, so what are we even talking about here? He is doing fine. Obviously not amazing, but fine.

I don't know much about USHL, never really followed it till Benak went there, but it strikes to me like a more even and less scoring league, then CHL leagues, where some crazy 1.5 or 2ppg are way less common. Idk if that's the case, but second in scoring amongst undrafted and 16th overall doesn't seem that bad.

 

[martygod12]

I’m sure he’ll be good enough for pro hockey in the next few years, but he had 2 points in 18 games last season. I don’t think that’s what you want to see next season. He should take more gradual steps.

If he doesn’t show some significant improvement, I can’t see how AHL would be the right league for him next season. You need to be like 1PPG, at minimum, in these NA junior leagues to step into AHL the next year and keep a regular lineup spot.

NCAA would be a more gradual step, but he might not want to go down that route or have the grades for it.

Ok it seemed like you are talking overall about him not being good even for euro league one time. Then we didn't understand and I am sorry.

He can't play in USHL next year also and then go to AHL for example? I mean USHL is like an U20 league or not?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Ok it seemed like you are talking overall about him not being good even for euro league one time. Then we didn't understand and I am sorry.

He can't play in USHL next year also and then go to AHL for example? I mean USHL is like an U20 league or not?

No need to apologize. Can only imagine how difficult it is to discuss hockey in a second language.

He can play another year of USHL. I wonder if he’ll want to do that though. Might not be a bad idea. Plenty of players end up playing USHL right after being drafted. Getting that extra year in the league and dominating has worked out well for many.

 

[Appleyard]

And now I am looking that he is second in scoring amongst u18 players in that league, so what are we even talking about here? He is doing fine. Obviously not amazing, but fine.

I don't know much about USHL, never really followed it till Benak went there, but it strikes to me like a more even and less scoring league, then CHL leagues, where some crazy 1.5 or 2ppg are way less common. Idk if that's the case, but second in scoring amongst undrafted and 16th overall doesn't seem that bad.

It is probably the lowest scoring u-20 league in the world on a rolling yearly basis. And scoring is spread around slightly more in general than CHL.

It is an older league than the CHL and in turn more structured in general with less "Mis-matches"... as usually even some 4th line guys are going to go on to a pro career... while the talent level at the top of the WHL and OHL specifically are certainly higher the bottom end players are not as good in general as the USHL bottom end guys. As a result top players also dont play quite as many minutes as in CHL.

Take a random USHL roster from ~2015-17 and of the ~23 regular guys? Probably ~12-15 will still be playing pro at ECHL level or above.

Take a random CHL roster from the same time? ~7-11 guys will be still playing pro at ECHL level or above.

Last year there were 25 non-NTDP P/GP scorers in the league... spread over 15 teams. 1.66 per team.

WHL had 67 across 22 teams. 3 per team.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

It is probably the lowest scoring u-20 league in the world on a rolling yearly basis. And scoring is spread around slightly more in general than CHL.

It is an older league than the CHL and in turn more structured in general with less "Mis-matches"... as usually even some 4th line guys are going to go on to a pro career... while the talent level at the top of the WHL and OHL specifically are certainly higher the bottom end players are not as good in general as the USHL bottom end guys. As a result top players also dont play quite as many minutes as in CHL.

Take a random USHL roster from ~2015-17 and of the ~23 regular guys? Probably ~12-15 will still be playing pro at ECHL level or above.

Take a random CHL roster from the same time? ~7-11 guys will be still playing pro at ECHL level or above.

Last year there were 25 non-NTDP P/GP scorers in the league... spread over 15 teams. 1.66 per team.

WHL had 67 across 22 teams. 3 per team.

The USHL has always been structured as an mostly 18-19 year old junior league where NCAA programs' commits play to prep for the NCAA after they've outgrown/aged out of AAA/HS/HS-Prep. Younger players in the (non NTDP) USHL have been relatively uncommon.

The CHL historically has been an NHL development league where teams have been content having their prospects play before going to the A or the league. The CHL has always given talented young players more opportunity than the USHL has.

 

[Appleyard]

The USHL has always been structured as an mostly 18-19 year old junior league where NCAA programs' commits play to prep for the NCAA after they've outgrown/aged out of AAA/HS/HS-Prep. Younger players in the (non NTDP) USHL have been relatively uncommon.

The CHL historically has been an NHL development league where teams have been content having their prospects play before going to the A or the league. The CHL has always given talented young players more opportunity than the USHL has.

Yeh, look at the number of "regular" guys who are 08s or below in each of the 4 leagues (excluding NTDP):

USHL: 15 (1 per team)
WHL: 59 (2.68 per team)
OHL: 46 (2.3 per team)
QMJHL: 26 (1.44 per team)

 

[martygod12]

Thanks for the info guys.