We need to talk about Zach Benson making the team this year, 2023

[dudacek]

8 hours ago, shrader said:

Apologies if it’s already been mentioned. How many 2023 draft picks are set to be in the NHL for game 1?

I believe the top 3 picks - Bedard, Carlsson, Fantili - and Benson.

[GASabresIUFAN]

While 13th overall picks don’t often make the NHL their draft years, players outside the top 3 do make the jump occasionally.  Cole Sillinger (12th in 2021).  Our old friend ROR made the jump after being taken 33rd in 2009. HOFer to be Bergeron jumped from the Q to the Bruins after being taken 45th in 2003.  These last two makes you wonder about the scouting not to long ago.  These are just a couple that stand out in my memory, but there are others.

[...]

3 hours ago, French Collection said:

These preseason clips show him winning battles using his stick, edges, IQ and even his small body to win puck battles. It will be interesting to watch when the intensity and talent level ratchets up.

This. His natural abilities are freakish and I don't mean that in a bad way. Just the opposite. That video analysis highlights how he uses his body in such a super-smart manner. I feel a lot better that he'll be able to avoid disastrous situations on the ice although that doesn't mean some goon won't head-hunt him.

When he adds muscle and his man-body matures, these skating and positioning skills ought to translate into exceedingly entertaining hockey.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Not sure if this was posted, a nice little glimpse of his preseason

Zach's skating and compete level and hands and shot all seem excellent, especially for his age.

His processing speed needs to be talked about differently though. A couple of the plays broken down here show not only quick thinking, but chains of consecutive, instantaneous, successful decisions completely unrelated to each other, made at mind-bending speeds. 

This allows him to melt into whatever the flow of the play is, and be exactly where he needs to be/do exactly what he needs to do. You don't see this level of nuance all that often. I'm not trying to say that Zach is or will be as good as this player, but there is exactly one NHL skater that I see display these instincts every shift, and we threw away two seasons trying to draft him. Obviously preseason is much different from the regular season, and then the playoffs, but there is a reason this 18 year old made the roster of a team expecting to win playoff series. And it's not (at least in Zach's case) because we are in a "stealth development year" or anything like that. You just have to see what this looks like in regular season games, especially since injuries mean that the next man up is simply Tyson Jost (not a knock, but you aren't losing any of the games in the 9 game tryout because this guy gets Jost's ice time) 

I'm not expecting Zach to stay here past 9 games, and I'm not expecting a calder trophy if he does, but as someone who is not only willing, but desperate, to throw away prospects in trades to help now, I am clinging to this guy like I am stranded in the desert and he is my last drop of water 

Like this video, apparently, KA did a similar evaluation on Benson before deciding to keep him in Buffalo.  https://theathletic.com/4948753/2023/10/10/buffalo-sabres-rasmus-dahlin-contract-zach-benson-roster/