How Good Do You Think Zac Benson Will Be?

[oddoublee]

1 hour ago, ... said:

I was concerned for him in the preseason because he was a smaller rookie, but he plays super large and is bigger than all of these guys:

 

Matthew Phillips, C – 5’7″ 140lbs

Cole Caufield, RW – 5’7″ 174lbs

Bobby Trivigno, LW – 5’7″ 167lbs

Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW – 5’7″ 191lbs

Xavier Simoneau, C – 5’7″ 178lbs

Domenick Fensore, D – 5’7″ 151lbs

Logan Stankoven, C – 5’7″ 170lbs

Kailer Yamamoto, RW – 5’8″ 153lbs

Cam Atkinson, RW – 5’8″ 176lbs

Alex DeBrincat, RW – 5’8″ 178lbs

Mats Zuccarello, RW – 5’8″ 181lbs

Tyler Johnson, C – 5’8″ 185lbs

T.J. Tynan, C – 5’8″ 160lbs

Johnny Gaudreau, LW – 5’9″ 165lbs

Jared Spurgeon, D – 5’9″ 166lbs

Blake Lizotte, C – 5’9″ 170lbs

Yanni Gourde, C – 5’9″ 174lbs

Brad Marchand, LW – 5’9″ 176lbs

Joe Snively, C – 5’9″ 176lbs

Jacob Bryson, D – 5’9″ 176lbs

Nick Blankenburg, D – 5’9″ 177lbs

Conor Sheary, LW – 5’9″ 179lbs

Sheldon Dries, C – 5’9″ 180lbs

Denis Malgin, C – 5’9″ 182lbs

Marco Rossi, C – 5’9″ 182lbs

Nicholas Robertson, LW – 5’9″ 183lbs

Jonathan Marchessault, C – 5’9″ 183lbs

Nils Hoglander, LW – 5’9″ 185lbs

Brendan Gallagher, RW – 5’9″ 186lbs

Ryan Lomberg, LW – 5’9″ 187lbs

Victor Mete, D – 5’9″ 187lbs

Nathan Walker, LW – 5’9″ 187lbs

Justin Danforth, RW – 5’9″ 190lbs

Colin Blackwell, C – 5’9″ 190lbs

Torey Krug, D – 5’9″ 194lbs

Wow....nice post. I always saw him smaller than many of the guys you listed. Maybe part of that is his tendency to play in the tougher places...making his size stick out a little more. 

Either way, thanks for posting this!

[Carmel Corn]

I'm hoping he'll become a modern day version of Pat Verbeek.

[inkman]

I’m hoping this doomed franchise doesn’t ruin this kid. Not liking the odds. 

[bob_sauve28]

At 18 he is a part of both the PP and PK

And right now he makes magic with Quinn and Thompson for even strength goal 

 

[K-9]

13 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

At 18 he is a part of both the PP and PK

And right now he makes magic with Quinn and Thompson for even strength goal 

 

He’s driven every line he’s played on this season. He’s a driver on the ice, that simple.

[Pimlach]

On 3/31/2024 at 11:01 PM, thewookie1 said:

Based on how his personality has been seen during games and his personal desire to play 200ft from the get-go; I’d guess he becomes far stronger physically over the next couple years and becomes a poor man’s Brayden Point or slightly slower less dirty version of Marchand.

The Juniors rule screwed him a bit but he held his own as an NHLer at 18 while being both undersized and a less physically mature forward. If development was the most important factor he would have been in Rochester but we didn’t have that choice. IMHO he had nothing to gain from Juniors since he already plays a 200ft game which is rare among his peers. Plus Juniors doesn’t tend to help much with bulking up due to the schedule. He needed to play with Pros and likely would of put up 50 pts in Rochester had he been there.

He is undersized but maybe not less physically mature for his age.  He may be pound for pound very strong.  If you played sports you know the type.  Small and mighty.  There is a reason he stuck all season and he plays fearless. 

He will get bigger and stronger.  

[Flashsabre]

Really Good

I would like to see

Benson Tage Quinn

for an extended period of time.

JJ Cozens Tuch

Edited April 3 by Flashsabre

[DarthEbriate]

More career playoff games played than Skinner.

Too soon?

[JoeSchmoe]

He's going to be a real humdinger!

[Crusader1969]

not sure about the future but I do know he is already a better player than Jeff Skinner 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

JJ Cozens Tuch

That might just give Dylan his mojo back.

In general, that's part of why I hope there's a coaching change:  I want fresh eyes to look at this roster and see how all the pieces fit together.  To be fair, Donny's doing that a bit now, but now it's too late.

[DarthEbriate]

Benson will surpass Drew Stafford in career points in a Sabres' sweater. (Stafford is currently 25th, which is my benchmark. Dahlin and Skinner are likely to surpass Stafford next season.)

[bob_sauve28]

5 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

Benson will surpass Drew Stafford in career points in a Sabres' sweater. (Stafford is currently 25th, which is my benchmark. Dahlin and Skinner are likely to surpass Stafford next season.)

Ok, here is the full list. 

https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/buffalo-sabres-players-career-nhl-stats.html

 

Sure are a lot on non-scorers ahead of Stafford, like my main man Mike Ramsey. Christian Ruutu is up there, also. Go figure 

I bet he gets up there around Satan or Mogilney numbers because he is good and will be around a long time. Wouldn't surprise me if he went even higher, but a lot of those players on the list played when defense and goaltending were not as stout as today. 

[Doohicksie]

He reached double digit goals tonight.  I thought he played well early in the season but it seemed like he just couldn't score.  He's learning that touch.

[SABRES 0311]

Benson Cozens Tuch is a line I’d like to see. 

[Buffalonill]

Only 2 points away from matching Peterka rookie point total last year 

 

[LGR4GM]

27 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Only 2 points away from matching Peterka rookie point total last year 

 

And jjp was 20/21 his rookie year. Benson is straight up 18. 

[Buffalonill]

31 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

And jjp was 20/21 his rookie year. Benson is straight up 18. 

@TageMVP will disagree 🤫

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Benson Cozens Tuch is a line I’d like to see. 

I wouldn't. Tuch isn't that smart of a player, he's average. Cozens is also average. Quinn is exceptional, like Benson, so they flow off eachother better imo.

[JohnC]

The remarkable thing about Benson is that he didn't fade as the grinding season advanced. Not only did he hold up well but he got better as the games passed by. What's so remarkable about his season is that this youngster played a physical style of game. He was arguably our most tenacious forechecker and our most willing player to position himself in the tough areas in front of the net. This young guy is the model that the rest of his teammates should emulate!

There are two surprising takeaways from this season for me. The first is the play of UPL. I didn't expect him to play as a good #1 goalie so soon. The second surprise may be even bigger: the unexpected quality and tough play of Benson. It's going to be interesting to see how much better he will be next season. 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The remarkable thing about Benson is that he didn't fade as the grinding season advanced. Not only did he hold up well but he got better as the games passed by. What's so remarkable about his season is that this youngster played a physical style of game. He was arguably our most tenacious forechecker and our most willing player to position himself in the tough areas in front of the net. This young guy is the model that the rest of his teammates should emulate!

There are two surprising takeaways from this season for me. The first is the play of UPL. I didn't expect him to play as a good #1 goalie so soon. The second surprise may be even bigger: the unexpected quality and tough play of Benson. It's going to be interesting to see how much better he will be next season. 

 

 

Benson makes me want Iginla because of that tenacity.

[Night Train]

Make Benson Captain. 

Send a message to the roster heavily weighted with talented loafers who detest a physical game.

 An 18 year old short guy who should have been in Juniors has the most guts. Sad. Nice roster makeup. 

[inkman]

6 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The remarkable thing about Benson is that he didn't fade as the grinding season advanced. Not only did he hold up well but he got better as the games passed by. What's so remarkable about his season is that this youngster played a physical style of game. He was arguably our most tenacious forechecker and our most willing player to position himself in the tough areas in front of the net. This young guy is the model that the rest of his teammates should emulate!

There are two surprising takeaways from this season for me. The first is the play of UPL. I didn't expect him to play as a good #1 goalie so soon. The second surprise may be even bigger: the unexpected quality and tough play of Benson. It's going to be interesting to see how much better he will be next season. 

 

 

I think part of the reason everyone mentions Benson’s tenacity is that so few Sabres posses this quality.  He stands out.  I believe most scouts had Benson as a top 5 talent in the draft but the Neanderthal’s that run NHL teams still place importance on size.  It’s the size of the fight in the dog not the size of the dog…yada yada.  Guys with his talent should be 1st line players. Nothing I’ve seen says he can’t be that.  
 

As far as UPL goes, his path to #1 goalie was not linear.  Much like a lot of goalies. He faced injuries, illness, COVID shut down, limited success in the AHL but inevitably he showed up when most goalies do, their mid 20’s. 

1 minute ago, Night Train said:

Make Benson Captain. 

Send a message to the roster heavily weighted with talented loafers who detest a physical game.

 An 18 year old short guy who should have been in Juniors has the most guts. Sad. Nice roster makeup. 

Giving him a letter would almost be unprecedented, making him the Captain is straight up lunacy. 

[JohnC]

16 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Benson makes me want Iginla because of that tenacity.

As you are indicating, the Benson line composition is going to be intriguing. As many have repeatedly said about Benson is that he is a driver of a line, not simply a benefactor of his linemates. Stating the obvious, this was a terrific draft selection.

[Jorcus]

I have two worries about Benson. The first is that what he showed this year is pretty much what he will always be. Most young players come into the NHL with a lot of raw talent but not a well rounded game. Benson is the opposite, he seems to know how to play better than half the players already on the team. He knows where to go he knows how to dog a puck, they have used him on the power play and the PK. Where are his areas of improvement that are under his control? It's physical stuff, If he gets stronger maybe he can stay on his skates more often. If he gets faster maybe he can be a bit more elusive. Improving those elements take a lot of dedication and time but there are limitations to what he can ever be. For him to be a good NHL player over the long term he will have to score more on his chances. It does not look like he has a banger of a shot so its all going to be around the net stuff to score as much as he will need to to be a top 2 line winger. Which brings up the second issue which is how long a short front of the net player can last in the NHL without getting smacked into concussion protocol?

You have to hand it to Benson he has done everything he could as an 18 year old who was not expected to be on the team. My question is what was the plan if he did not make the team as a left winger? It's one of the things that cost the team a chance this year. If it was Bensons 4th NHL season and the stats were what he has now playing top 2 line minutes, well I don't even want think about the reaction to that.