Prospect Info: Zach Benson, LW/C, Wenatchee (WHL), Signed ELC- 2023, 13th Overall

[Gras]

It's an interesting question. Where are they with total contract count?

He wouldnt count against the 50 anyways

 

[PatLaFontaineASMR]

Kirill Kaprizov 5'10 203lbs
Kevin Fiala 5'10 180lbs
Vincent Trocheck 5'10 178lbs
Jack Hughes 5'10 170lbs
Clayton Keller 5'10 164lbs
Conor Bedard 5'9.75 185lbs
Travis Konecny 5'9.75 175lbs
Zach Benson 5'9.75 170lbs
Brayden Point 5'9.75 160lbs
Pat Kane 5'9.75 160lbs
Max Domi 5'9 190lbs
Brad Marchand 5'9 176lbs
Jonathan Marchessault 5'9 174lbs
Viktor Arvidsson 5'9 172lbs
Jesper Bratt 5'9 170lbs
Yanni Gourde 5'9 169lbs
Johnny Gaudreau 5'9 165lbs
Cam Atkinson 5'8 182lbs
Mats Zuccarello 5'8 179lbs
Conor Garland 5'8 165lbs
Kailer Yammamoto 5'7.5 146lbs
Alex DeBrincat 5'7 165lbs
Cole Caulfield 5'7 163lbs

Wanted to check Benson's height compared to other current NHLers because certain fans are making a big deal of it. Surprised to see he's pretty much the same size as Keller/Hughes/Konecny.

 

[Reddawg]

Wanted to check Benson's height compared to other current NHLers because certain fans are making a big deal of it. Surprised to see he's pretty much the same size as Keller/Hughes/Konecny.

He's the same height and a few pounds off from Connor Bedard who basically no one has a size argument about. The Internet is a fickle place.

 

[TommyDangles]

Kirill Kaprizov 5'10 203lbs
Kevin Fiala 5'10 180lbs
Vincent Trocheck 5'10 178lbs
Jack Hughes 5'10 170lbs
Clayton Keller 5'10 164lbs
Conor Bedard 5'9.75 185lbs
Travis Konecny 5'9.75 175lbs
Zach Benson 5'9.75 170lbs
Brayden Point 5'9.75 160lbs
Pat Kane 5'9.75 160lbs
Max Domi 5'9 190lbs
Brad Marchand 5'9 176lbs
Jonathan Marchessault 5'9 174lbs
Viktor Arvidsson 5'9 172lbs
Jesper Bratt 5'9 170lbs
Yanni Gourde 5'9 169lbs
Johnny Gaudreau 5'9 165lbs
Cam Atkinson 5'8 182lbs
Mats Zuccarello 5'8 179lbs
Conor Garland 5'8 165lbs
Kailer Yammamoto 5'7.5 146lbs
Alex DeBrincat 5'7 165lbs
Cole Caulfield 5'7 163lbs

Wanted to check Benson's height compared to other current NHLers because certain fans are making a big deal of it. Surprised to see he's pretty much the same size as Keller/Hughes/Konecny.

Plenty of others players that lie about their heights too. Pretty sure Panarin is around 5'10.

 

[Dirty Dog]

5’9, and get up to 185-190, I really don’t think that’s an issue at all. Plenty of great players at the size or smaller.

Sure, you don’t want to build a team with smaller players…but our team overall is full of bigger players. No issue

 

[NotABadPeriod]

He wouldnt count against the 50 anyways

Assuming he doesn't play 10 games this year, of course.

 

[Dubi Doo]

5’9, and get up to 185-190, I really don’t think that’s an issue at all. Plenty of great players at the size or smaller.

Sure, you don’t want to build a team with smaller players…but our team overall is full of bigger players. No issue

How big is Gretzky, btw?!

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Size has a more direct bearing when a smaller player is aggressive and goes to high traffic areas. Saying that players such as Theo Fleury, Morchard etc have been successful without long injury histories while giants like Lindros and Daze were taken out.

Benson is a gnat on the fore and back check so will garner more attention than a soft perimeter player as he'll be noticed and players do take numbers. Now I think he'll be more Theo'esque than Marchand douchebaggery, but I wouldn't mind some Pat Verbeek little ball of hate antics

 

[Ehran]

How big is Gretzky, btw?!

Wayne Gretzky​

Position: C • Shoots: Left

6-0, 185lb (183cm, 83kg)


Unless you meant Brent:

Brent Gretzky​

Position: C • Shoots: Left

5-10, 160lb (178cm, 72kg)

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Size has a more direct bearing when a smaller player is aggressive and goes to high traffic areas. Saying that players such as Theo Fleury, Morchard etc have been successful without long injury histories while giants like Lindros and Daze were taken out.

Benson is a gnat on the fore and back check so will garner more attention than a soft perimeter player as he'll be noticed and players do take numbers. Now I think he'll be more Theo'esque than Marchand douchebaggery, but I wouldn't mind some Pat Verbeek little ball of hate antics

I'd take any of those guys over Chris Gratton

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Depends on which version, the original Tampa Gratton was a beast. He somehow got spayed in transit after the first trade was announced

 

[KiwiGriff]

He should marry a good Buffalo girl named Olivia

I see what you did there

 

[Dubi Doo]

Wayne Gretzky​

Position: C • Shoots: Left

6-0, 185lb (183cm, 83kg)


Unless you meant Brent:

Brent Gretzky​

Position: C • Shoots: Left

5-10, 160lb (178cm, 72kg)

I was talking about Brent, obviously!

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I was talking about Brent, obviously!

I thought you were talking about Keith.

 

[Sabre the Win]

If Benson can add muscle he can probably easily reach 180. Bedard is the same height but he's built like a brick shit house already. Bedards build reminds me of a Max Domi build, small but low to the ground and hard to move off the puck due to his weight.

We need Benson to get there if he's ever going to live up to his hard on the puck mentality in the NHL.

If he can put that kind of weight on, this pick intrigues me the most out of anyone in our prospect pool for forwards.

 

[debaser66]

100%. Throw in the family's background as carnival entertainment entrepreneurs and how many times Benson said "stoked" on draft night, and I think we have a unique character on our hand.

Other newly punchable items on my radar this week: Reinbacher's nose.

You gotta get in line behind all those Habs fans

 

[Der Jaeger]

You gotta get in line behind all those Habs fans

Adams should trade for Reinbacher now so he’s freed from the crap show he’s now in.

Gotta feel for the kid. Drafted into a pressure cooker of an organization ahead of Michkov, who fans all wanted. Then Price messes up his moment.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[debaser66]

Adams should trade for Reinbacher now so he’s freed from the crap show he’s now in.

Gotta feel for the kid. Drafted into a pressure cooker of an organization ahead of Michkov, who fans all wanted. Then Price messes up his moment.

its a horrible welcome; I wonder what would be if we were picking at 5; I mean more as a hypothetical question, our fans are not as rabid but if we would be happy with Reinbacher that early, he certainly wasn't BPA.

 

[Fraser28]

How was this guy passed on 12 times?

-Best player on the best team filled with older Top 10s overall
-Second Best +/-
-Most of his points were done on 5 vs 5, 4 vs 5.... unlike some other "generational talent" who scored 30-40% of his points on either PP and Empty netters.
-Benson has i think no empty net goals

Benson is a generational talent.

.... such a shame he's not recognized at his just value.

13th overall... gawd damn... no offense to Buffalo but this is easely one the biggest steals of all time.

Benson is definitely not a generational talent lol, but he’s going to be awesome. Incredible pickup by the Sabres. Is the expectation that he’ll play for Buffalo in the 2024-25 season?

 

[Ace]

Benson is definitely not a generational talent lol, but he’s going to be awesome. Incredible pickup by the Sabres. Is the expectation that he’ll play for Buffalo in the 2024-25 season?

I think they’re going to slow his timeline for a few reasons ranging from the number of rookie forwards they’d have to break in at once to sliding his ELC so it overlaps years where others get raises.

 

[Bombshell11]

Benson is definitely not a generational talent lol, but he’s going to be awesome. Incredible pickup by the Sabres. Is the expectation that he’ll play for Buffalo in the 2024-25 season?

We have to see, he needs to build muscles first

 

[Panthaz89]

He's the same height and a few pounds off from Connor Bedard who basically no one has a size argument about. The Internet is a fickle place.

Nah they still talk about Bedard's size to prove he isn't great a lot in his thread too.

 

[Jacob582]

its a horrible welcome; I wonder what would be if we were picking at 5; I mean more as a hypothetical question, our fans are not as rabid but if we would be happy with Reinbacher that early, he certainly wasn't BPA.

I think the Sabres would have taken Michkov if he was available. And yes I think a large segment of our fan base would have been upset if we passed on him and selected Reinbacher, despite the need for RHD.

I also feel that the Sabres would have selected Reinbacher, Willander or Simashev over Benson if one of them were available.

 

[Ace]

I think the Sabres would have taken Michkov if he was available. And yes I think a large segment of our fan base would have been upset if we passed on him and selected Reinbacher, despite the need for RHD.

I also feel that the Sabres would have selected Reinbacher, Willander or Simashev over Benson if one of them were available.

It sounded that way from what Forton said…but they also took a forward with their next pick so I do wonder. It wasn’t priority enough to go with D with their next pick…and I’d like to believe i dont like in a world where they’d rank Willander over Benson