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

[TageGod]

Ya, maybe that will work. The Ducks are doing that with Carlsson, supposedly.

Granato gave JJ and Quinn games off here and there when they struggled, he will likely do the same with Benson.

 

[dortt]

He can go down after 9 games. The only thing the 9 game cutoff refers to is if he burns a year of his ELC

 

[Tatanka]

He can go down after 9 games. The only thing the 9 game cutoff refers to is if he burns a year of his ELC

No he can't. He stays in the NHL and burns a year or he goes back to junior and burns a year of ELC.

 

[Fly Boy]

No he can't. He stays in the NHL and burns a year or he goes back to junior and burns a year of ELC.

That's what he said.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Seems like he could use work on his skating:

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Granato gave JJ and Quinn games off here and there when they struggled, he will likely do the same with Benson.

Not a great comparable. They each already had a season of AHL experience. Quinn was 21 in his first full NHL season. JJ turned 21 in January during his. Benson turned 18 in May. They're not huge players, but both were significantly bigger than him during their rookie seasons.

He oozes hockey sense and has desire that burns white-hot. This team needs both. I'd love him sticking, but only if that's best for his development and the Sabres' fortunes.

Would the Sabres regret keeping him up in year or two or five? It's an unanswerable question at present, but that is my concern.

 

[Faceboner]

Ya, maybe that will work. The Ducks are doing that with Carlsson, supposedly.

I think it would benefit Benson better since Carlsson is physically more pro ready than Benson but watching Benson its clear he already plays and thinks the game at an nhl level easily a top 6-7 prospect for me still

 

[Faceboner]

Seems like he could use work on his skating:

View attachment 770858

Give him some games off for physical conditioning with that said he is still an 18 year old and could easily see him developing his physical attributes into the top 50th percentile but for now keep him up and give him games off here and there to give him some conditioning days

 

[Ace]

If they send him back to push off paying him a second contract they aren’t a serious organization. He’s easily one of their best forwards on a team that already ices a lot of bad forwards…and has injuries that aren’t going to be plugged in by guys they will call up like Rousek.

They chose not to bring in a top six forward. So this is what they have. They’re lucky he’s as good as he is because the plan was a terrible one. And if they send him back where are they? What is the point of the season? What is the point of this organization?

Now..I know there are a couple of older forwards than Benson sitting in Rochester getting their doctorate in away from the puck play…but slow playing Rosen and Kulich because they need work on the non-producing aspects of the game….and then sending back the guy who beat them out specifically because he excels at those things…again…what are we doing here?

 

[Tatanka]

That's what he said.

I inferred "goes down" as meaning to the AHL. He can't. NHL or junior. It wasn't clear on my end.

 

[Faceboner]

If they send him back to push off paying him a second contract they aren’t a serious organization. He’s easily one of their best forwards on a team that already ices a lot of bad forwards…and has injuries that aren’t going to be plugged in by guys they will call up like Rousek.

They chose not to bring in a top six forward. So this is what they have. They’re lucky he’s as good as he is because the plan was a terrible one. And if they send him back where are they? What is the point of the season? What is the point of this organization?

Now..I know there are a couple of older forwards than Benson sitting in Rochester getting their doctorate in away from the puck play…but slow playing Rosen and Kulich because they need work on the non-producing aspects of the game….and then sending back the guy who beat them out specifically because he excels at those things…again…what are we doing here?

I agree I think even though Benson is mentally ready and plays a pro game I think savoie would benefit more from being up not to mention getting only 4 minutes in his one game just seems weird he looked liked he was ready for a nine game stint it seems they are fumbling savoie

 

[HaNotsri]

If they send him back to push off paying him a second contract they aren’t a serious organization. He’s easily one of their best forwards on a team that already ices a lot of bad forwards…and has injuries that aren’t going to be plugged in by guys they will call up like Rousek.

They chose not to bring in a top six forward. So this is what they have. They’re lucky he’s as good as he is because the plan was a terrible one. And if they send him back where are they? What is the point of the season? What is the point of this organization?

Now..I know there are a couple of older forwards than Benson sitting in Rochester getting their doctorate in away from the puck play…but slow playing Rosen and Kulich because they need work on the non-producing aspects of the game….and then sending back the guy who beat them out specifically because he excels at those things…again…what are we doing here?

I think you'll have to accept that this season was another punt. I think the idea is to become an average team long term that makes the playoffs now and then. Best way to do that is to slow cook and never accelerate or pump the brakes to keep us in the range of 6th to 10th place. The competition is just too hard for the Sabres this year with to many teams trying to win so they'll end up in the lower end.

Having Benson on an elc will make the road to the playoff bubble cheaper. Using the next season as his first will also help selling it to the fans next summer. We'll have all these exciting prospects on the team. Might even excuse trading Mittelstadt...

 

[Faceboner]

I think you'll have to accept that this season was another punt. I think the idea is to become an average team long term that makes the playoffs now and then. Best way to do that is to slow cook and never accelerate or pump the brakes to keep us in the range of 6th to 10th place. The competition is just too hard for the Sabres this year with to many teams trying to win so they'll end up in the lower end.

Having Benson on an elc will make the road to the playoff bubble cheaper. Using the next season as his first will also help selling it to the fans next summer. We'll have all these exciting prospects on the team. Might even excuse trading Mittelstadt...

At this point I don't want to trade mitts, he has been our best forwards and who in the top ten is worth not trying to win for I can only think of cotton, celebrini, eiserman and demidov. I have soured on the d-men so far only silyayev and Dickinson other than that I would rather trade for immediate help that we can keep for a few years

 

[debaser66]

I inferred "goes down" as meaning to the AHL. He can't. NHL or junior. It wasn't clear on my end.

does the 9 game rule not just apply to junior hockey? at least thats why I figured he was not talking about the AHL.

 

[Gras]

does the 9 game rule not just apply to junior hockey? at least thats why I figured he was not talking about the AHL.

It applies to players on slide eligible ELC contracts.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Faceboner]

View attachment 770959

The way I project his progression he should be really taking off by his final elc year

 

[toddkaz]

I love his game. Its completely different than the rest of the team and something deeply needed here.

 

[TageGod]

Not a great comparable. They each already had a season of AHL experience. Quinn was 21 in his first full NHL season. JJ turned 21 in January during his. Benson turned 18 in May. They're not huge players, but both were significantly bigger than him during their rookie seasons.

He oozes hockey sense and has desire that burns white-hot. This team needs both. I'd love him sticking, but only if that's best for his development and the Sabres' fortunes.

Would the Sabres regret keeping him up in year or two or five? It's an unanswerable question at present, but that is my concern.

He is open to putting them on the bench when necessary. The comparable is fine.

 

[toddkaz]

@LLysowski
·
12m
Will Zach Benson get a 10th game with the Sabres?

Don Granato wasn't ready to reveal a decision after the OT loss: "That’s a great question ... and it’s not one for right now."


What a clown coach. He cant even answer. Also shouldnt he have included Adams in his answer since he isnt the GM.

 

[sabremike]

Very hard truth I have come to terms with: They need to send him back because this season is over and buried with a tombstone erected above it. There is no point to wasting an ELC year on a completely lost and hopeless season. If you disagree with this please point out who you think this team right now is capable of overtaking for a playoff spot.

 

[Archie Lee]

Very hard truth I have come to terms with: They need to send him back because this season is over and buried with a tombstone erected above it. There is no point to wasting an ELC year on a completely lost and hopeless season. If you disagree with this please point out who you think this team right now is capable of overtaking for a playoff spot.

My view is that the Sabres’s decision should be based solely on what is best for Benson. If his future is best served by going back to Junior for another year then that is where he should go.

As for the Sabres, when we lost 8 in a row at this time last year nobody thought we would overtake anyone. We looked like a team that could be in the Bedard sweepstakes. When you are playing poorly it doesn’t feel like you can beat anyone. That can change in a hurry.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I can’t imagine most fans care either way anymore. Stay, go back, who gives a shit, the team will always suck both with him and without him.

 

[sabremike]

I can’t imagine most fans care either way anymore. Stay, go back, who gives a shit, the team will always suck both with him and without him.

The thing is that one single move/hire is capable of changing everything. My Bengals are a perfect example of this: Mike Brown and the Bengals were for years what Pegula and the Sabres are to hockey: a historically incompetent laughingstock. Then in 2004 they hired a guy named Marvin Lewis. Almost overnight the team became competitive and would make the playoffs more times than not over the next decade plus (although always self destructing when the got there but that's besides the point). All it will take is hiring that one competent person.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

The thing is that one single move/hire is capable of changing everything. My Bengals are a perfect example of this: Mike Brown and the Bengals were for years what Pegula and the Sabres are to hockey: a historically incompetent laughingstock. Then in 2004 they hired a guy named Marvin Lewis. Almost overnight the team became competitive and would make the playoffs more times than not over the next decade plus (although always self destructing when the got there but that's besides the point). All it will take is hiring that one competent person.

I don’t agree that a coaching change can fix this team. I think it’s more a matter of roster construction and management imo.

Plus, what respectable coach would come to a place where you’re forced to deal with 3 goalies and 8 defensemen on your roster all f***ing season? None of them.