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

[Tatanka]

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.

Uh..no. The Sabres management has a responsibility to the Sabres. To ice a winning team. The idea that they are there to serve the players is tantamount to being a development program for the rest of the league. Prospects, capspace, roster players contract slots are all tools to ice a winning team. Use them.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Seems like he could use work on his skating:

View attachment 770858

He's slow and you can absolutely see that nightly, I don't think that's going to change. He's finding ways to be effective without the speed.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

He's slow and you can absolutely see that nightly, I don't think that's going to change. He's finding ways to be effective without the speed.

Yeah, these stats are fun but they can be dangerous if you try to use them to come to any conclusions about a player. Most of what is measured here falls into the “doesn’t matter very much” category to me.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Dlt

 

[BuffaloGooner]

His tenacity on the walls is impressive not only for his size but also his age. He comes away with pucks he absolutely should not.

Yes he also gets knocked off the puck but he works 2X harder to get it back. And he was taking a beating in front last night trying to get a body in front of the goalie. He’s doing everything a good NHL player does well, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like once he gains even a little bit of strength.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Benson needs to stay, his speed will get better but he can work on that up here.

 

[HOOats]

Benson should stay up. He's a play connector with an elite work rate and our team is in short supply of those. His speed will improve once he grows out of his adolescent body over the next 2-5 years, just like Mitts.

No ELC concerns because he won't have the stat leverage to get a monster second deal, just a reasonable 4 year one that will keep him an RFA. And if he blows up the next two years and we have to sign him big, that's an excellent problem to have.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

Don’t disagree with the general point, but what offense has Benson exactly contributed so far? Offense that crosses the threshold of “mediocre play,” the standard we should be raising.

He certainly ought to be that player in the near future, but I do not see it at present.

Ahem. I’d just like to add that I don’t see Power taking a big leap defensively or Levi playing a reliable NHL game presently, either. To any unseen forces that may be listening...

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

Personally I want him to stay. He's exciting and will only get better.

OTOH, if he's only going to get limited minutes... especially when protecting a 1 goal lead, then it makes sense to keep a more "reliable" player on the roster.

 

[Ace]

It’s a no brainer. But this staff has no brains. So it remains a tossup.

 

[Mattilaus]

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

Okay so do you want him to answer or do you want him to wait and talk about it with Adams? Like you call him a clown because he can't answer and then in the very next sentence, say it's not even up to him.

 

[Tatanka]

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

I actually disagree… He’s already contributing! If you look at any of the metrics people are reporting on here or on X, he’s clearly one of the top six players on the team and he’s actually on par analytic wise with Bedard. That’s not a guy that can afford to send back. Also, he can play defense so there’s not a lot of benefit for him to go back because what is he working on when he goes there? It’s not like he’s magically going to gain 20 pounds by going back to junior or get faster… Those things can happen in the NHL and will be pushed forward even faster because he needs to adapt.

 

[Tatanka]

I actually disagree… He’s already contributing! If you look at any of the metrics people are reporting on here or on X, he’s clearly one of the top six players on the team and he’s actually on par analytic wise with Bedard. That’s not a guy that can afford to send back. Also, he can play defense so there’s not a lot of benefit for him to go back because what is he working on when he goes there? It’s not like he’s magically going to gain 20 pounds by going back to junior or get faster… Those things can happen in the NHL and will be pushed forward even faster because he needs to adapt.

No he won’t gain 20 this year but he won’t get killed either. He is light. He will not get the benefit of being a rookie after xmas. As for production, nobody is producing other than Peterka, so being in the top of that group is faint praise. He has played 9/20 and is on pace for 4 goals and 16 assists if you count availability. If you go by games 7 24. That is on the second line with favorable deployments. And are you bumping Quinn below him? Peterka? This shiny new toy syndrome gone off the rails. Sure if they keep him he most likely continues to be feisty, but if he moves down the lineup his minutes will go down. I would rather he be maximizing playing time, play wjc and see where he is at in the spring. Again jmho.

 

[Ehran]

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

I also disagree, respectfully.

Because I read somewhere that his positioning and understanding of how to play the game is pro-ready.

Keeping him here, letting him gain experience, work out with the teams' strength and conditioning people, learning the pro game would keep him from, possibly, learning bad habits from being so dominant that he doesn't need to play the game the right way.

I don't see that he can gain anything in the juniors that he can't gain here. And I'm normally a "send them back until they can't go back" philosophy.

 

[Ace]

Okay so do you want him to answer or do you want him to wait and talk about it with Adams? Like you call him a clown because he can't answer and then in the very next sentence, say it's not even up to him.

Boston’s coach was asked the same question and answered it. Because he’s not a clown. Also manages to ice 12-6 lineups, picked 2 goalies and wins games.

If Granato seriously doesn’t know there’s a problem. Whether it’s Adams indecision or his own. It’s a problem.

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

Submitted with comment: He’s been even better away from the puck than with it.

 

[Mattilaus]

Boston’s coach was asked the same question and answered it. Because he’s not a clown. Also manages to ice 12-6 lineups, picked 2 goalies

Okay that's no problem, but then why say he should include Adams if he is capable of answering the question himself?

 

[dire wolf]

Marek and Friedman discussed this briefly on Marek's show today. They raised an interesting point that many teams are less concerned about the 10th game (which burns a year of the ELC) than they are about the 40th game (which burns a year toward UFA status). In fact, Marek argues that burning a year off of the ELC can benefit the team more than the player because it can result in a cheaper second contract. I agree with this logic. I think they can, and should, keep Benson up for as long as he is playing well and not regressing. If they send him to WJC and rotate him in and out of the lineup, they might be able to keep him under 40 games. On the other hand, if he plays so well that they can't justify sitting him out, then that's a good problem to have. In any event, I'd keep him around as long as his play continues to warrant it.

I've been watching him pretty closely, and his details are pretty much pro level already. He's better away from the puck and defensively than many, if not most, of our other forwards. One could argue that he should be sent down with instructions to add 10 pounds of muscle -- like Reinhart -- but he finds ways to be effective even when he's getting knocked down and pushed around.

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

Assuming no other injuries, I'd solve the roster problem by waiving or dumping Olofsson. His game has regressed in all aspects. He makes so many dumb decisions with the puck, isn't scoring, and adds nothing when he doesn't have the puck. He was better last year. Not sure what's going on with him.

 

[dortt]

the 40th game may be more relevant for Benson, if our GM didn't lose all his brain cells from being bashed in the head back when he played.

If Benson reaches 40 games, he accrues a year toward UFA status

 

[Waterfowlist]

You send down kids that aren’t physically ready or can’t handle the speed of the game. Neither applies to Benson. The kid is already one of their most dangerous forwards. He drives play when he is on the ice and he isn’t a defensive liability.

This is a no brainer.

 

[BG82]

I am in the minority but I think he should back to junior. He is going to be a good to great player, but I do not see him contributing much this year. He needs to get stronger. Plus keeping him sends the signal this another development year. With Quinn coming back there is going to be a roster logjam that he can’t help solve. He isn’t the problem bit he isn’t the solution either. Yet.

Need to move assets.. Package VO with a prospect or two and land that long term fixture that still has some cost control.

We already got a guy with nothing to prove back in Junior A due to the logjam. Not necessarily a bad problem to have but with Kulich and Rosen simmering nicely in Rochester, Ostlund getting closer and closer to North American hockey and Benson and Savoie potentially being in Junior A with Quinn return creeping up, eventually this has to be done

That's excluding our horde of quality Russian kids

 

[joshjull]

 

[Sabre the Win]

Benson needs to stay, his speed will get better but he can work on that up here.

Honestly people say speed can be coached but it may just not be apart of his attributes, if speed could easily be coached into any hockey player there would be no slow players other than older guys who's bodies are already breaking down and everyone would be able to skate with McDavid.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Speed is a tricky subject as it had many facets. You had players like Rico Fata that could fly in a straight line but don't ask him to turn. Benson will never be a McDavid in straight line speed, his game is edgework and short burst. Now gaining strength will improve his top end but he'll always be Skinner'esque with his edges and making situational plays

 

[MOGlLNY]

Honestly people say speed can be coached but it may just not be apart of his attributes, if speed could easily be coached into any hockey player there would be no slow players other than older guys who's bodies are already breaking down and everyone would be able to skate with McDavid.

I’m not saying he’s going to become a speed demon, just that he will be up to nhl speed and his brain will allow him to process even farther ahead once he hits that level when he has that extra second from slightly improving his speed.