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

[tsujimoto74]

Would you rather have Geekie, Lamoureaux, Sinashev, and But or Savoie, Ostlund, Kulich, and Benson?

I'll take our midgets over the Yotes trees.

I bet some teams are going to look at Tage Thompson's breakout and try to chase that for themselves. We already have it, though, so there's nothing to chase. Plus Cozens, Tuch, and some big blue liners. We're not a small team, even if you sprinkle a few 5'10"-6' prospects into the mix.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

regular meals of pasta and visits to the gym please

 

[Zach716]

Point was a 3rd rounder, not 13th overall

Taking him after we took 3 forwards last year, including Savoie is silly.

Would Point be taken in the 3rd round in a redraft? I don’t understand the point being made

 

[joshjull]

I bet some teams are going to look at Tage Thompson's breakout and try to chase that for themselves. We already have it, though, so there's nothing to chase. Plus Cozens, Tuch, and some big blue liners. We're not a small team, even if you sprinkle a few 5'10"-6' prospects into the mix.

To build on your point, Tage was brought up a few times during draft coverage when big framed guys got drafted.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Dingo44]

With him spending a lot of time working the minidonut stand, you know he's going to be on donut duty once he's a rookie.



And he talked about how influential Krebs was in the interview, too.

Winners and losers from the first round of the NHL Draft

From an early gasp at second overall to finally finding out where the Russian wild card was going to be dealt, the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft had some breathtaking moments. With that in mind, let’s sing the praises of some picks while also getting a little skeptical about others.

www.sportsnet.ca

Love the flow on the kid.

I'd grow back out my 80's mullet but the wife won't let me. I'm just blessed I can still sport a full head of hair at my age.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[joshjull]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[joshjull]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Dingo44]

2023 NHL Draft winners and losers: Scott Wheeler's complete first-round analysis

Scott Wheeler analyzes how each NHL team’s scouting department fared against the selections they had on Day 1 of the NHL Draft in Nashville.

theathletic.com

Scott Wheeler likes the Sabres getting his 6th best prospect at 13.

I really think you must have me blocked

 

[Jim Bob]

I really think you must have me blocked

No, I just didn't go back and read the whole thread.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Benson is Marchand without the bull$hit.

I’ll have to hear a few samples of his chirps before I can sign off on that

 

[Fjordy]

Bensomania

 

[RefsIdeas]

If you’re not hyped about Benson enough, watch this and change your mind:

Edit: sorry Jim Bob already posted this.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

The willingness to go to the net, hockey iq, and quickness/puck skill in tight space reminds me of… Briere?

I was going to say his puck strippingness is his most Briere quality to me. Briere was an absolute pickpocket against the wall in the neutral zone.

 

[Der Jaeger]

My son is going to the PEP top prospects camp in Toronto in August. Just found out that Benson will be there.

 

[Zman5778]

Would you rather have Geekie, Lamoureaux, Sinashev, and But or Savoie, Ostlund, Kulich, and Benson?

I'll take our midgets over the Yotes trees.

The difference is -- the Yotes don't have their trees signed long-term on NHL deals. Our trees are developed and going to be in the NHL for a long time.....we can surround them with some shrubs.

It's not like we're building a team around shrubbery.

 

[old kummelweck]

Many upset again about few inches.

That's what she said.

 

[Weaves]

Most excited by this pick since Dahlin. Top 5 talent in this draft and his defensive work is so underrated. Cupboard is now officially loaded outside of D (teams would kill for a Dahlin + Power + Sammy trio at the NHL level, so this is muted)

 

[NotABadPeriod]

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog. And Benson is pretty big in that department. He's the kind of guy who'll make big guys on the other team look like Ristolainen.

Great pick.

 

[Paxon]

Many upset again about few inches.

That's the working title of my sex memoir

 

[Paxon]

To build on your point, Tage was brought up a few times during draft coverage when big framed guys got drafted.

He is now The Example of an archetype in draft talk, just as Josh Allen is for the NFL draft.