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

[Ace]

This is what the 9 game look is for. With none of Kulich/Rosen/Rousek standing out and Savoie missing all of camp…Benson took it. Olofsson is still a big nothing at best. There is one legit answer to Quinn’s spot in the top six that has made itself known.

 

[Dubi Doo]

The thing about Benson is, I think you can put him anywhere, and he'd likely be effective assuming he's ready to play in the regulaf season.

You want him playing big time top-6 minutes? Put him with Cozens or Tage.

Do you want to reel his minutes in a bit, and give him linemates that will play a simple but effective game + give him a chance at C? Play him between Girgs and Okoposo.

It's going to be very interesting to see what he does with the 9 games if he makes the team.

I believe it was @Chainshot and @Ace who were saying he's better than both Kulich and Savoie, and he's showing why.

 

[sabremike]

 

[Daz28]

This is what the 9 game look is for. With none of Kulich/Rosen/Rousek standing out and Savoie missing all of camp…Benson took it. Olofsson is still a big nothing at best. There is one legit answer to Quinn’s spot in the top six that has made itself known.

I mean he's absolutely earned the 9 game look, right?

 

[Aladyyn]

The thing about Benson is, I think you can put him anywhere, and he'd likely be effective assuming he's ready to play in the regulaf season.

You want him playing big time top-6 minutes? Put him with Cozens or Tage.

Do you want to reel his minutes in a bit, and give him linemates that will play a simple but effective game + give him a chance at C? Play him between Girgs and Okoposo.

It's going to be very interesting to see what he does with the 9 games if he makes the team.

I believe it was @Chainshot and @Ace who were saying he's better than both Kulich and Savoie, and he's showing why.

He's going to get the Quinn treatment - play with legitimate offensive talent but keep the minutes in check and get him games off at times

 

[Dingo44]

My favorite #9 on the Sabres in the past 20 years.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Hopefully he's the antidote to the douchebaggery associated with #9

 

[CrazyWayne]

Can't tell if he is legitimately ready or just the only guy on the ice putting in 110 percent into every shift

Deserves the 9 game tryout to find out

 

[Sabresbyswords104]

Hopefully he makes it

Home run ?

 

[dortt]

Benson seems to not only be earning a spot, but a spot on the first line

How'd he ever fall to 13? He should have went top 3 overall

 

[Ace]

I’ll give Granato and Adams credit for letting him have this opportunity for real. The easy thing to do if they wanted to avoid him making a big push would have been to send him back/not play him after the Pittsburgh game. Not that he was bad in it…he looked like he belonged while stuck in a woefully overmatched lineup. But they could have ended it there and said “saw some great things and he knows what we want him to work on and he will go be a leader and blah blah blah”. They put him right back in and he outworked everyone again and made a huge difference. The powerplay look alone with him in the middle is hard to just say go away on. No one has managed to do crap from that spot. He’s worked his way to a goal and two assists there on the PP. His other goal coming from a net front battle…and the way he forechecks…gonna be tough to say nah…let’s see more Olofsson in the top six.

 

[Ralonzo]

The assists are nice and the goal is great. That play late in the 3rd, where he missed on the forecheck, dug back to fill the middle lane, knocked down an elevator cross-ice pass at center ice, turned it and flippered one in on the goalie that he had to melt for a faceoff. That's hockey to win games. Superb. Kid gets decked in half his board battles and loses most one-on-ones, he looks like he's moving slower than everyone else out there, and suddenly there he is in the middle of what's actually happening on the ice and making the right plays to help the team win games.

The right move for Benson's development is to give him a Reinhart-shirt year to get stronger and pummel crap competition, but my worry is: can the org afford to send away someone who is already clearly one of their top-12 forwards?

 

[toddkaz]

Very nice scouting report of Benson. The person thought he could be a 1st overall talent.

 

[Faceboner]

He looks ready but let's see how he finishes out the preseason maybe give him 9 but send him back down even if looks ready he could work on stuff in the juniors during the season that he couldn't if he was up on the big club

 

[Fjordy]

Kid deserves at least 9 games, I have my doubts that players like Olofsson or Greenway will look better.

 

[Waterfowlist]

Give him 9 games; if he doesn’t look lost, keep him up here. He will learn way more in a Sabres uniform than skating circles around inferior opponents. Cream rises to the top.

Some players are just ready. It is rare, but hey, we’re rolling with a 21 year old goalie this year.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Cream rises to the top.

Oooooh yeah!

 

[Hasekperreault23]

He looks ready but let's see how he finishes out the preseason maybe give him 9 but send him back down even if looks ready he could work on stuff in the juniors during the season that he couldn't if he was up on the big club

If he impresses during 9 games you keep him.We are worried about strength and fatigue I imagine. We have better strength trainers than junior.We sit him say every 4th or 5th game to prevent fatigue.Benson is a two way player which is rare as a young 18 year old.Going to be interesting and iam excited as he was my favorite player going into draft but didn't think he would slide that far.Someone compared him to a young Doug Gilmour, that was spot on.

 

[Faceboner]

If he impresses during 9 games you keep him.We are worried about strength and fatigue I imagine. We have better strength trainers than junior.We sit him say every 4th or 5th game to prevent fatigue.Benson is a two way player which is rare as a young 18 year old.Going to be interesting and iam excited as he was my favorite player going into draft but didn't think he would slide that far.Someone compared him to a young Doug Gilmour, that was spot on.

I just worry about like you said strength and fatigue like you said but also I would like to see his speed improve but other than that if he belongs than let him play, he also seems to have some grit/pest to him, I like to use Brad Marchand as a modern comparable

 

[Hasekperreault23]

I just worry about like you said strength and fatigue like you said but also I would like to see his speed improve but other than that if he belongs than let him play, he also seems to have some grit/pest to him, I like to use Brad Marchand as a modern comparable

Marchand,Gilmour yes the pest get under your skin trait is two great comparisons.

 

[DapperCam]

Can't tell if he is legitimately ready or just the only guy on the ice putting in 110 percent into every shift

Deserves the 9 game tryout to find out

He seems like the kind of player that puts in 110% every shift anyway.

 

[Faceboner]

Marchand,Gilmour yes the pest get under your skin trait is two great comparisons.

Obviously he will get stronger with age and quicker too with our staff especially but I am wondering if sending him back to the dub to work on his shot more could be beneficial for him?

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

One of my fav prospects in the last many years. Glad he's doing well. Hope he makes it big time for you guys.

 

[dire wolf]

My favorite #9 on the Sabres in the past 20 years.

I still have a soft spot for Derek Roy -- but I'm pretty confident Benson will leapfrog him

 

[Dingo44]

I still have a soft spot for Derek Roy -- but I'm pretty confident Benson will leapfrog him

I'd lean more towards Ott but he wasn't super cool when I met him though he did shake my hand.