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

[RefsIdeas]

I tried to watch as much Winnipeg as possible this year to catch Savoie, and I think Benson is clearly better than Savoie. If Benson goes at 10 or later this year, it really shows you how good this draft is compared to last year.

 

[57special]

I think the Canucks would be doing back flips on the way to the podium if they had a chance to take Benson at 11. I don't think his size is enough of a deterrent to not take him. Benson is probably the 1 winger who that could potentially be available at 11 that the Canucks would take over a C/D.

Who know though, this draft will be crazy to watch from 5 onward, so many good players and so many ways it could play out.

Absolutely.

Benson is interesting to me. Love everything about him except his size. 5'10 doesnt bother me in a prospect, but the 160 lbs does when a big draw for the guy is how competitive he is. Smaller guys who play like that are often an injury waiting to happen. I would be pretty happy of the wings pick him because he has a good track record but also has some extremely legit upside as well.

But if you draft him, and get another inch or two out of him, adds some weight.... you've hit the lottery

And there's the rub. Is he the next Marco Rossi, who hasn't grown a bit, and was maxed out strength wise, or is he a skinny guy who will grown as you said and put on 25-30 lbs. in 3-4 years?
We all want our prospects to be ready ASAP, but the truth is that body types vary greatly. Some are early maturing beasts, and men at 16-18 yo, others don't really fill out and reach their full strength till they are in their mid 20's. Gym time and training can help a lot, but you can't change the essential nature of a person.

 

[newfy]

He measured in at 5'10 basically and 170 lbs. Does this change anyones thoughts on him? Hes a guy that i was half assuming to measure at like 5'8 or smaller but seems like his listing online is accurate.

Size is still a concern but I dont think its as bad of a concern as it was pre combine

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

I tried to watch as much Winnipeg as possible this year to catch Savoie, and I think Benson is clearly better than Savoie. If Benson goes at 10 or later this year, it really shows you how good this draft is compared to last year.

I hope he goes 11th.

Because that's where the Canucks are picking.

I don't think he will though. Probably the smartest two-way player in the draft.

He measured in at 5'10 basically and 170 lbs. Does this change anyones thoughts on him? Hes a guy that i was half assuming to measure at like 5'8 or smaller but seems like his listing online is accurate.

Size is still a concern but I dont think its as bad of a concern as it was pre combine

Only because his skating isn't the fastest. If he was a bit quicker I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[UrbanImpact]

I think Benson will drop out of the 10 due to his size , fluffy shot and lack of high end speed.


GMs will question whether or not he will be able to zip zap and skate around Dmen in the NHL in order to make a play which is what makes him successful in the WHL.

I do like his IQ, playmaking, agility, edging and i still think he goes top 15.

 

[DatDude44]

I think Benson will drop out of the 10 due to his size , fluffy shot and lack of high end speed.


GMs will question whether or not he will be able to zip zap and skate around Dmen in the NHL in order to make a play which is what makes him successful in the WHL.

I do like his IQ, playmaking, agility, edging and i still think he goes top 15.

His Zip zapping ability is 6/5 on pronmans report though

 

[Faceboner]

Would be awesome if he fell to buffalo

 

[Steve Kournianos]

One of my favorite pre-draft players ever. I can’t stress enough how his size shouldn’t be a factor. Brilliant playmaker.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

One of my favorite pre-draft players ever. I can’t stress enough how his size shouldn’t be a factor. Brilliant playmaker.

Me too. Regardless of how he pans out, I just love his smarts and style of play. Definitely one of my favourite prospects ever to watch.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

I tried to watch as much Winnipeg as possible this year to catch Savoie, and I think Benson is clearly better than Savoie. If Benson goes at 10 or later this year, it really shows you how good this draft is compared to last year.

Savoie was coming back from surgery though and had a pretty "bad" first half for his expectations.

In the second half and playoffs Savoie was better than Benson. Benson is probably about on par or slightly ahead given the year difference.

 

[rt]

He measured in at 5'10 basically and 170 lbs. Does this change anyones thoughts on him? Hes a guy that i was half assuming to measure at like 5'8 or smaller but seems like his listing online is accurate.

Size is still a concern but I dont think its as bad of a concern as it was pre combine

I’d take him 4th overall.

Savoie was coming back from surgery though and had a pretty "bad" first half for his expectations.

In the second half and playoffs Savoie was better than Benson. Benson is probably about on par or slightly ahead given the year difference.

I don’t agree. Playoffs, sure. Benson was hurt. But he’s always been better than Savoie. And I’m a big Savoie fan.

 

[rt]

Benson is a fantastic skater. Excellent. He doesn’t have separation speed but that’s one of many components that comprise skating. He’s an elite skater that doesn’t have great top end speed. I really don’t care about top end speed. End to end goals are the exception, not the rule. His in-zone skating is tremendous.

 

[lakai17]

I think Benson will drop out of the 10 due to his size , fluffy shot and lack of high end speed.


GMs will question whether or not he will be able to zip zap and skate around Dmen in the NHL in order to make a play which is what makes him successful in the WHL.

I do like his IQ, playmaking, agility, edging and i still think he goes top 15.

How does he compare to our boy Mike Comrie?

 

[UrbanImpact]

How does he compare to our boy Mike Comrie?

Not sure bout Comrie,

but Benson's game I would describe as a Brendan Gallagher like but more playmaking and less battle around the front of the net.

 

[Chainshot]

He measured in at 5'10 basically and 170 lbs. Does this change anyones thoughts on him? Hes a guy that i was half assuming to measure at like 5'8 or smaller but seems like his listing online is accurate.

Size is still a concern but I dont think its as bad of a concern as it was pre combine

I didn't have any concerns with him prior to being measured. *shrug*

Benson is a fantastic skater. Excellent. He doesn’t have separation speed but that’s one of many components that comprise skating. He’s an elite skater that doesn’t have great top end speed. I really don’t care about top end speed. End to end goals are the exception, not the rule. His in-zone skating is tremendous.

And when he actually grows into mature strength, there will be a kick in his separation speed. But even without it, he plays a smart, pro-thinking game that isn't as flashy as some but it is so damn effective.

 

[Juxtaposer]

He measured in at 5'10 basically and 170 lbs. Does this change anyones thoughts on him? Hes a guy that i was half assuming to measure at like 5'8 or smaller but seems like his listing online is accurate.

Size is still a concern but I dont think its as bad of a concern as it was pre combine

Something I feel like I constantly notice: when Benson and Bedard stand next to each other, Benson’s shoulders are higher, but Bedard’s head/neck are taller. Also that Bedard is jacked and Benson is a shrimp, developmentally.

 

[truthbluth]

My favorite player in the draft (discounting the top 4). Yes, I like him over Smith.

 

[TheUnusedCrayon]

My favorite player in the draft (discounting the top 4). Yes, I like him over Smith.

I approve of this message. I don't even have them in the same tier. I think what Benson does is perfectly translatable to the NHL level (even more translatable than Fantilli's, but Fantilli has so much more raw talent) than Will Smith's. Will Smith is very creative but in my opinion too creative at the moment and Benson's plays are just sooooo polished. Great along the walls, knows how to bump the puck, knows when to distribute, can make long and short plays, knows how to thread, etc.

I hope he falls to 11th but I just can't see pro scouts not seeing these things. In no world should he fall further than 6th in this draft. 6th I can see, 7th is downright disrespectful.

 

[BenchBrawl]

The next Joe Sakic?

They are literally the same prospect except Sakic was more of a goalscorer.

 

[Dominance]

The next Joe Sakic?

They are literally the same prospect except Sakic was more of a goalscorer.

View attachment 717977

Identical, it’s remarkable. Thanks for this amazing find.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Identical, it’s remarkable. Thanks for this amazing find.

Credit for the photo goes to @Habsfan18 who is a hockey book collector

I made the connection to Benson

 

[BenchBrawl]

For my money, I would pick Benson 3rd overall after Bedard & Michkov.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Loving his late slide. Hope he’s a Penguin soon.

 

[Boxscore]

For my money, I would pick Benson 3rd overall after Bedard & Michkov.

Interesting. Carlsson is my guy in this draft but Benson is my second personal favorite.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not sure bout Comrie,

but Benson's game I would describe as a Brendan Gallagher like but more playmaking and less battle around the front of the net.

Hes nothing like Gallagher. Gallagher has negative amounts of skills.

Benson is the best playmaker in the draft, has insane hands (top 3 in the draft), a better skater and shooter than Gallagher and he doesnt just put his head down and run into the goaltender.

Also hes not a f***ing whiner and loser.