W/C Zachary Benson - (2023, 13th, BUF)

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I personally think taking Benson over Michkov would be a big mistake
Well if you’re drafting a winger you can’t go wrong either way, both are elite in this class. One is an elite scorer and point producer, the other produces and plays all 200ft of ice at an elite level. I’d be more inclined to take Michkov but if I miss out and Benson is right there I’m not passing on him.
 
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]WHL DRAFT SEASONS[/TD]
[TD]GP[/TD]
[TD]G[/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]P[/TD]
[TD]PPG[/TD]
[TD]DRAFTED[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CONNOR BEDARD[/TD]
[TD]45[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]114[/TD]
[TD]2,53[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SAM REINHART[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]1,75[/TD]
[TD]#2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ZACH BENSON[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]33[/TD]
[TD]59[/TD]
[TD]92[/TD]
[TD]1,70[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ANDREW CRISTALL[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]41[/TD]
[TD]71[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NIC PETAN[/TD]
[TD]71[/TD]
[TD]46[/TD]
[TD]74[/TD]
[TD]120[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]#43[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SETH JARVIS[/TD]
[TD]58[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]56[/TD]
[TD]98[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]#13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]LEON DRAISAITL[/TD]
[TD]64[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]67[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]1,64[/TD]
[TD]#3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]EVANDER KANE[/TD]
[TD]61[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]96[/TD]
[TD]1,57[/TD]
[TD]#4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]75[/TD]
[TD]106[/TD]
[TD]1,54[/TD]
[TD]#1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]KAILER YAMAMOTO[/TD]
[TD]65[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[TD]99[/TD]
[TD]1,52[/TD]
[TD]#22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MATTHEW SAVOIE[/TD]
[TD]65[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[TD]1,38[/TD]
[TD]#9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]KOEHN ZIEMMER[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]73[/TD]
[TD]1,33[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CODY GLASS[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD]62[/TD]
[TD]94[/TD]
[TD]1,36[/TD]
[TD]#6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]BRAYDEN POINT[/TD]
[TD]72[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]91[/TD]
[TD]1,26[/TD]
[TD]#79[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
What a draft this could be.
 
Watch Benson. He’s more impressive than his ridiculous stat. Other than size and an elite shot, he’s literally everything you could possibly want in a player.

I’m not arguing for him over Fantilli or Carlsson necessarily, but I am saying that I would take Benson over anyone drafted in 2022 and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up the second best player in his draft class.
I have watched him and really like him as a player but the reality is that big skilled centers are harder to find via trade so it's really hard to see any NHL GM taking Benson over either of those 2 centers.

Whoever misses on the "big" 4 won't feel so bad.
It's a really deep high end draft first 15 teams should be thrilled with the player they get but of course not every single player develops as planed.....
 
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[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]WHL DRAFT SEASONS[/TD]
[TD]GP[/TD]
[TD]G[/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]P[/TD]
[TD]PPG[/TD]
[TD]DRAFTED[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CONNOR BEDARD[/TD]
[TD]45[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]114[/TD]
[TD]2,53[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SAM REINHART[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]1,75[/TD]
[TD]#2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ZACH BENSON[/TD]
[TD]54[/TD]
[TD]33[/TD]
[TD]59[/TD]
[TD]92[/TD]
[TD]1,70[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ANDREW CRISTALL[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]41[/TD]
[TD]71[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]NIC PETAN[/TD]
[TD]71[/TD]
[TD]46[/TD]
[TD]74[/TD]
[TD]120[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]#43[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SETH JARVIS[/TD]
[TD]58[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]56[/TD]
[TD]98[/TD]
[TD]1,69[/TD]
[TD]#13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]LEON DRAISAITL[/TD]
[TD]64[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]67[/TD]
[TD]105[/TD]
[TD]1,64[/TD]
[TD]#3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]EVANDER KANE[/TD]
[TD]61[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]48[/TD]
[TD]96[/TD]
[TD]1,57[/TD]
[TD]#4[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]75[/TD]
[TD]106[/TD]
[TD]1,54[/TD]
[TD]#1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]KAILER YAMAMOTO[/TD]
[TD]65[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]57[/TD]
[TD]99[/TD]
[TD]1,52[/TD]
[TD]#22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]MATTHEW SAVOIE[/TD]
[TD]65[/TD]
[TD]35[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]90[/TD]
[TD]1,38[/TD]
[TD]#9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]KOEHN ZIEMMER[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[TD]73[/TD]
[TD]1,33[/TD]
[TD]?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]CODY GLASS[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]32[/TD]
[TD]62[/TD]
[TD]94[/TD]
[TD]1,36[/TD]
[TD]#6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]BRAYDEN POINT[/TD]
[TD]72[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]91[/TD]
[TD]1,26[/TD]
[TD]#79[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
What a draft this could be.
Does anyone else see that production doesn't always translate to the NHL level?
 
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I know he's producing well and works hard, but not yet convinced that this player has elite level skill. Good forechecker and everything despite his drawbacks and once in a while flashes some skill, but I don't see the ability to dissect defenses or control the game the way someone like Will Smith or Andrew Cristall can. Also plays hunched over and so looks even smaller than his size.

With small players I worry about lack of dynamic skill above all else. See - Nic Petan, Marco Rossi. Not sure if there's enough there with Benson. I think he'll play though because he's versatile, but not sure if he'll be a big scorer.
 
I wouldn’t think so but am just looking for some confirmation from hardcore Ice/WHL fans.

I mean Savoie is a SH demon at the WHL level also and his PPG was pretty close last year when he was Benson’s age to Benson this year. And he centers with Benson on his wing.

I don’t think it’s a crazy question. I’m truly interested in knowing if Benson is a level above given their scoring rates this year and Benson’s rise as a probably top 5 pick in what is perceived to be a stronger draft or if we are sleeping on Savoie/hyping the younger guy more just because he (Savoie) came back this year and isn’t scoring at quite the rate he did in his draft year.

Is Benson legit a different level as a play driver and all around player? Last years draft is considered weak and Savoie went 9th. This years is considered amazing and Benson is as high as 3rd and probably no worse than 5th or 6th on most lists. So I get that would mean his perceived value as a prospect is much higher. But is this factually the case from those who can compare them on the same team and same line in fact on a near nightly basis?


Savoie posted 1.38 ppg in his draft year and Benson is up to 1.7

Benson has already scored 3 more points in 10 less games than Savoie did.
So at this rate it would be around 20 points difference
 
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Brayden Point in terms of play style. If Ducks slide like they always do out of the #4 I'd still be stoked at #5.
 

What happened???
In the Ice thread @snowkiddin said this
"Benson was hurt eight minutes in after a nasty hit from behind from a dude with six points all year. Was favouring his arm, hopefully it’s not broken, but it didn’t look good. We’ll need him for the playoffs. Unfortunate that a plug had to hurt him."
 
What happened???
Boarding penalty, missed the hit. No replay btw because right under camera. Looked to be shoulder/collarbone. Saw him after the game in a sling.

And yes as the poster said above, against the worst team in the league. The ICE were absolutely deflated for the rest of the game after the play.
 
In the Ice thread @snowkiddin said this
"Benson was hurt eight minutes in after a nasty hit from behind from a dude with six points all year. Was favouring his arm, hopefully it’s not broken, but it didn’t look good. We’ll need him for the playoffs. Unfortunate that a plug had to hurt him."
I was pretty heated after it happened lol so I went a bit overboard but yeah it was a hit from behind into the boards. Definitely took the steam out of the ICE
 
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