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

Dingo44

We already won the trade
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Jul 21, 2015
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Screenshot_20240102_154348_Instagram.jpg
 

dortt

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Sep 21, 2018
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Houston, TX
since we aren't making the playoffs, I'd send him back before game 41.

This gives us another year to have Benson under our control before he hits USA. Delays UFA to 26 vs 25
 

SabresNorth

Registered User
Nov 6, 2021
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If they were going to send him back he should have went to the WJC tourney. I can't see him going back to junior after withholding him.
since we aren't making the playoffs, I'd send him back before game 41.

This gives us another year to have Benson under our control before he hits USA. Delays UFA to 26 vs 25
 

dortt

Registered User
Sep 21, 2018
5,452
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Houston, TX
If they were going to send him back he should have went to the WJC tourney. I can't see him going back to junior after withholding him.

he can still play 12 more games. keep him here for them. Let him earn an NHL salary. Then send him back for a playoff push
 

Zman5778

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Oct 4, 2005
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he can still play 12 more games. keep him here for them. Let him earn an NHL salary. Then send him back for a playoff push

I cannot, in any way, see Benson being happy with being sent back to juniors AFTER the WJC....without getting a chance to play in them. Like....it could be catastrophic to the Benson/Sabres relationship.
 

dortt

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Sep 21, 2018
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Houston, TX
I cannot, in any way, see Benson being happy with being sent back to juniors AFTER the WJC....without getting a chance to play in them. Like....it could be catastrophic to the Benson/Sabres relationship.

I could think of about 200,000 reasons why he would be happier to be sent back after game 40 than before the WJC
 

HOOats

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Nov 19, 2007
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Benson is going to be signed until he's 28-31 no matter if he hits UFA at 25 or 26.

Sure we'll have to buy an extra year of UFA on said contract, but Benson's contract story is already going to be unique as a player starting his ELC at 18 (and not putting up the big numbers that 18yos aka top picks usually do).
 

Dingo44

We already won the trade
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Jul 21, 2015
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Greensboro, NC

After the game on Monday, Granato said he thought Benson could “stabilize” the top line. That’s right, the 18-year-old can bring stability to Thompson and Tuch, the team’s two leading goal scorers from a season ago. Granato called Benson one of the Sabres’ most responsible players.

“Benny is always direct, always to the front of the net, always on the puck,” Granato said. “I knew the guys would respond to that.”

Imagine that. Those are things Granato has been preaching all season, and he’s getting them most consistently from an 18-year-old who came straight from junior hockey. When Granato puts an in-game adjustment in front of the team, he said Benson is the best player at implementing that information on the ice quickly.

After spending the early part of the season living in a hotel, Benson moved in with Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who has extra space with the new house he bought after signing his eight-year contract extension.
 

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