He played with Matt Savoie over the past two years, and with Peyton Krebs in his first season with the Winnipeg Ice. What a line those three would make in a few years time!!
I think i saw this video after the Sabres drafted Benson, and I was impressed. I have now had the ability to watch his game during the Sabres preseason. I can't believe how I'm watching a 170 ish kid play against NHL caliber talent and how easy he makes it look. This is a great video, spot on analysis, and holy crap with the new context of seeing how comfortable he is at the NHL level. The Sabres stole this pick at 13.
I believe Benson used to play defense in his younger hockey seasons of U12 and U14. This shows on his backchecking and rush defending. So amazing to watch!
I played with him through his Atom and Peewee years he was a center and was a forward his entire life, he develop his defensive skills in Bantam when he was one of the bottom players in a crazy stacked team, he needed to develop defensive skills due to his role on the team
OK, I'll take the heat, but hear me out: His work behind the net, along the boards and the stick lifts reminds me so much of Sidney Crosby. Not the biggest guy, but you can't get the puck from him and he WILL steal it from you. Deceptively strong player, which is something he himself admitted he worked a ton on before and during this past season. I LOVE Benson
@@Jmulk96 I absolutely agree. The Crosby comparison ends with the manipulation and the stick- and boardwork tho, I just thought those parts of his game look very similar on tape
That's so weird. As a die-hard Penguin fan, as I was seeing these highlights and watching his stick play, footwork, manipulating D-men, the first person that came to mind was Sid.
Buffalo got a good one - was a pleasure to watch him the last few years live here in Winnipeg, he will be paired up with Savoie who Buffalo drafted last year - they are a great duo on the PK and PP
@@Freedom_is_essential1 only saw Krebs play about 3 games - watched Benson and Savoie about 40x - I would put the 2 of them equal, both very intelligent players - they played together most of this year - I hope Buffalo, once they are in the NHL, play them together - brilliant on SH and PK situations
That's pure insanity to me. I think Smith is way overhyped atm, but I'm not trying to be a Smith hater here either. He's a fantastic playmaker, I just think Benson is a far better hockey player
@@Jmulk96Yeah and side note: I'll be really upset if Smith keeps his NTDP line intact at Boston. I think it's potentially terrible for his development and I think it cannot be overstated how beneficial it was for everyone on that line to play together for a full season without exceptions. I need to see him carry a line and face a less ideal situation, because being on the same warm and cosy line for another year can't possibly be good for him. His numbers will look great, but he'll never get rid of the shortcomings in his game
His arms can fill out, as a Sabres fan I'd like him to keep growing, The draft listed him as 5' 10 but everyone kept saying he's 5'9. The closer he gets to the 6 ft range the better, I don't think he'll hit 6 but every inch helps.
@@dickbiggerjr3613 I think you guys scored big. Will all those talented F's, most of whom have good size, Benson can thrive. Sabres already have their stars, so less pressure. It's perfect for both parties.
Kid plays A LOT like Claude Giroux. Lethal playmaker who's a fierce competitor with unreal hockey IQ and deceptive ability. Also plays above his weight physically and anticipates opponents well. I really hope Philly can get him... that would be poetic.
I think the better question is "Is Benson a NHL caliber center?", like usually small guys like him don't work as centers unless they're elite enough skaters like Point, but Benson's so defensively engaged that I can absolutely see it happening. I don't think many people seem to consider Benson as a center though, most discussions I've seen typically involve him as a winger instead.
honestly pretty hard to play top 6 role in the NHL as a C when you are under 6 ft tall it's even harder when you are at 5"9 but maybe he'll still continue to grow who knows
If you add Benson you can move RHP to another team and get better without being too Small also, our current top 6 already includes 2 or 3 players over 6'3 in Dach, Anderson and maybe Slafkofsky and most of our D-core besides Harris and Hutson is over 6'0 as well so we are not a small team we just have Cole, Gally and RHP, our lack of size was so prevalent because all our big players got injured
@@ehrobin3355 it make sense, i dont know how hard it would be to move RHP for a fair price tho, gally well hes not gonna be here for much longer i guess.
For our pre-season 2024 draft list! (Maybe...). We didn't record our last meeting because our final board took a month to make. But! We do have a Q and A coming up next Wednesday at 8pm. We're probably going to be talking about most of the top prospects.
Man, if he can get on a line with Jeff Skinner and Tage, defenses are going to be spinning around in circles. His edgework and cleverness remind me of Skinner's. They would look like the Harlem Globetrotters out there.
@@DONWASABIJUAN he's a bit undersized, but he looks like he plays a lot bigger than his size. I hate to make comps like this (they're never really accurate), but his stick work and board play remind a bit of Datsyuk/Zetterberg: undersized guys who can be strong on the puck not just because of physical strength, but because of an innate knowledge of how to position themselves to get leverage. It's something that's hard to teach, and he's got it. Other than his size, everything screams "Yzerman-type player". He's got a lot of what Stevie tries to draft, specifically hockey sense, compete level, and 2-way play that is advanced for his age.
If he's still available at #13 when the Sabres pick, I wouldn't be surprised to see them snatch him up. He's a linemate of Matt Savoie on the WHL's Winnepeg Ice, and Savoie was the first of the Sabres two 1st-round picks in the 2022 Entry Draft.
@@Michael_RareZebra I'm hoping I don't end up like those Cubs fans I read about who waited their whole lives for them to win the World Series but weren't around when they finally did. What a Bummer!
It would be a mistake not to pick Benson just because of his size. You can always trade him anytime for the big guys if your team is lacking in size that much.
Gonna be real hard to play C in Buffalo. Cozens and Thompson are allready a lock and 1+2 C. They still have insanely good center prospects after those 2. It's almost not even funny how much young talent this Sabres team has right now. There's legit 1-5 guys that could/probably should be on the roster next year but won't be able to
I think he is a better player than LHC Matthew Savoie. Even though Zach is a LW both players have comparables. But Benson seems like he has more upside. Savoie went 9th overall in 2022, but Benson is in a strong draft class and we will see where he goes in the draft order. In a weak draft Benson could be a top 6 player overall, instead he may be top 10.
Quin Musty scored at about the same PPG rate as Benson in the CHL, for a less prolific offensive team. Musty is younger, substantially bigger, and far more physical a winger. Why should Benson be rated higher?
Benson is better overall not even close his ability to drive a line.. Musty just can't do the same pretty obvious tho as David said with other words Benson is just better overall
@@Al_Andaloussi85 Meh, Musty was more productive in relation to the talent around him. If Benson was such a hockey genius, he would have scored 150 points on that loaded team and they would have dominated the playoffs. Musty has more upside.
Wouldn’t be surprised if GMs don’t learn their lesson with Caufield and Benson drops out of the top 10. I can see Buffalo or Pittsburgh stealing him at 13th or 14th overall.
Absolute steal at 13 let’s go Sabres!!
IKR!!
WOOOOOOOOO!
Go Sabres!
I know I can’t wait to watch him
Was literally the best situation for us outside of a miracle of winning the draft lotto 😂
This kid is criminally underrated
he's as good or better than Bedard on 5vs5 and 4vs5
I truly hope you are correct. I'm having fantasies that he drops to #14 to my Penguins
@@66Bunnalmost got him. Go Sabs
He played with Matt Savoie over the past two years, and with Peyton Krebs in his first season with the Winnipeg Ice. What a line those three would make in a few years time!!
I think i saw this video after the Sabres drafted Benson, and I was impressed. I have now had the ability to watch his game during the Sabres preseason. I can't believe how I'm watching a 170 ish kid play against NHL caliber talent and how easy he makes it look.
This is a great video, spot on analysis, and holy crap with the new context of seeing how comfortable he is at the NHL level. The Sabres stole this pick at 13.
I believe Benson used to play defense in his younger hockey seasons of U12 and U14. This shows on his backchecking and rush defending. So amazing to watch!
I played with him through his Atom and Peewee years he was a center and was a forward his entire life, he develop his defensive skills in Bantam when he was one of the bottom players in a crazy stacked team, he needed to develop defensive skills due to his role on the team
Probably my favorite player of this draft.
OK, I'll take the heat, but hear me out: His work behind the net, along the boards and the stick lifts reminds me so much of Sidney Crosby. Not the biggest guy, but you can't get the puck from him and he WILL steal it from you. Deceptively strong player, which is something he himself admitted he worked a ton on before and during this past season. I LOVE Benson
That’s a great comp, i see him as a lower pace Brayden Point
@@Jmulk96 I absolutely agree. The Crosby comparison ends with the manipulation and the stick- and boardwork tho, I just thought those parts of his game look very similar on tape
That's so weird. As a die-hard Penguin fan, as I was seeing these highlights and watching his stick play, footwork, manipulating D-men, the first person that came to mind was Sid.
Pavel Datsyuk immediately comes to mind.
Buffalo got a good one - was a pleasure to watch him the last few years live here in Winnipeg, he will be paired up with Savoie who Buffalo drafted last year - they are a great duo on the PK and PP
Who were you more impressed with Krebs, Savoie or Benson?
@@Freedom_is_essential1 only saw Krebs play about 3 games - watched Benson and Savoie about 40x - I would put the 2 of them equal, both very intelligent players - they played together most of this year - I hope Buffalo, once they are in the NHL, play them together - brilliant on SH and PK situations
I genuinely cant see how so many people prefer smith to benson
Benson has that dawg in him
That's pure insanity to me. I think Smith is way overhyped atm, but I'm not trying to be a Smith hater here either. He's a fantastic playmaker, I just think Benson is a far better hockey player
@@Matfridt agreed, I think smith’s meh skating and over-reliance on the hip pocked will hold him back
@@Jmulk96Yeah and side note: I'll be really upset if Smith keeps his NTDP line intact at Boston. I think it's potentially terrible for his development and I think it cannot be overstated how beneficial it was for everyone on that line to play together for a full season without exceptions. I need to see him carry a line and face a less ideal situation, because being on the same warm and cosy line for another year can't possibly be good for him. His numbers will look great, but he'll never get rid of the shortcomings in his game
Same here, for me benson should go before a lot of player. Hes gonna be drafted too low for what he deserve bc of his small size
Welcome to Buffalo!!
The zone entry pass at 05:37 was nasty!
Great analysis. Go Sabres!
Will always be my favourite player in this class. Please Yzerman I am begging you.
Kind of a Datsyukian player eh
incredible breakdown, thanks for this info. i was excited when my Sabres picked him, now im over the moon. the stats comparisons are wild..
Keep the film room videos coming! 😀
Wow Sabres got a steal 😬😳
Great video! Can't wait to see how Benson's skills will translate in the NHL.
You've made the best case for Benson I've heard yet. We'll see if he develops physically. He looked like a little boy w/stick arms at the combine.
His arms can fill out, as a Sabres fan I'd like him to keep growing, The draft listed him as 5' 10 but everyone kept saying he's 5'9. The closer he gets to the 6 ft range the better, I don't think he'll hit 6 but every inch helps.
@@dickbiggerjr3613 I think you guys scored big. Will all those talented F's, most of whom have good size, Benson can thrive. Sabres already have their stars, so less pressure. It's perfect for both parties.
Can’t wait to see him in Buffalo!!!
This has me so pumped for the Sabres! Let’s go!
Welcome to Buffalo kid!
Gonna fit in well! Have him in a line with Krebs and Quinn or Cozens and Quinn
Absolutely incredible video man. Switching over to you from some other TH-cam hockey commentators. Thank you
Kid plays A LOT like Claude Giroux. Lethal playmaker who's a fierce competitor with unreal hockey IQ and deceptive ability. Also plays above his weight physically and anticipates opponents well. I really hope Philly can get him... that would be poetic.
Good call!! You see his first NHL goal? Was siiiick!
#BensontoDetroit
Benson is 5' 9.75" 170lbs. at 18 years old. I don't think his size will hold him back.
Great video! Well made and narrated
I think the better question is "Is Benson a NHL caliber center?", like usually small guys like him don't work as centers unless they're elite enough skaters like Point, but Benson's so defensively engaged that I can absolutely see it happening. I don't think many people seem to consider Benson as a center though, most discussions I've seen typically involve him as a winger instead.
honestly pretty hard to play top 6 role in the NHL as a C when you are under 6 ft tall it's even harder when you are at 5"9 but maybe he'll still continue to grow who knows
He isnt a WHL C so no way he’s an NHL C
@@Jmulk96 yeah agreed on that one most likely a future winger
Benson>Smith and I will die on that hill
Based
Agreed
💯.
High praises! I’m sold!
Welcome to Buffalo!
If montreal didnt have Caufield and Harvey pinard + Hutson as small players , id really like Zach Benson
If you add Benson you can move RHP to another team and get better without being too Small also, our current top 6 already includes 2 or 3 players over 6'3 in Dach, Anderson and maybe Slafkofsky and most of our D-core besides Harris and Hutson is over 6'0 as well so we are not a small team we just have Cole, Gally and RHP, our lack of size was so prevalent because all our big players got injured
@@ehrobin3355 it make sense, i dont know how hard it would be to move RHP for a fair price tho, gally well hes not gonna be here for much longer i guess.
A Bedard/Michkov Hybrid without the lethal shot.
Played drop in hockey against this kid a month ago. Good gear wear 👌🏻
Great breakdown...thank you!
Reminds me of Marner he really gets the gravitational forces of the puck
Hey great video, when are you guys gonna be doing another draft meeting ?
For our pre-season 2024 draft list! (Maybe...). We didn't record our last meeting because our final board took a month to make. But! We do have a Q and A coming up next Wednesday at 8pm. We're probably going to be talking about most of the top prospects.
@@davidst-louis8315 OK, thanks !!
Man, if he can get on a line with Jeff Skinner and Tage, defenses are going to be spinning around in circles. His edgework and cleverness remind me of Skinner's. They would look like the Harlem Globetrotters out there.
Well both Jeff and Zach play LW soooo not gonna happen
He’s more skinners replacement on the top line
I’m sold, great video
With the 9th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Detroit Red Wings select...
I’d feel much better picking him at 17 or trading up to 10-14 to get him. Idk he’s such a wild card
@@DONWASABIJUANwhat!? I would love my habs to take him with the 5th lol
This.
@@DONWASABIJUAN Benson a wild card ?? lmao
@@DONWASABIJUAN he's a bit undersized, but he looks like he plays a lot bigger than his size. I hate to make comps like this (they're never really accurate), but his stick work and board play remind a bit of Datsyuk/Zetterberg: undersized guys who can be strong on the puck not just because of physical strength, but because of an innate knowledge of how to position themselves to get leverage. It's something that's hard to teach, and he's got it.
Other than his size, everything screams "Yzerman-type player". He's got a lot of what Stevie tries to draft, specifically hockey sense, compete level, and 2-way play that is advanced for his age.
Awesome video.
Really smart player!! Since he plays with Geekie, I'd like to see him be picked at #6 by the Yotes.
If he's still available at #13 when the Sabres pick, I wouldn't be surprised to see them snatch him up. He's a linemate of Matt Savoie on the WHL's Winnepeg Ice, and Savoie was the first of the Sabres two 1st-round picks in the 2022 Entry Draft.
@@tomhull1276 Sabres are so stacked! I’m hoping to see the Yotes vs. Sabres during the finals within this decade!
@@Michael_RareZebra I hope so...cuz I'm not getting any younger.
@@tomhull1276 Okay then let’s make it in 3 years!! 😉
@@Michael_RareZebra I'm hoping I don't end up like those Cubs fans I read about who waited their whole lives for them to win the World Series but weren't around when they finally did. What a Bummer!
This player has got moves ...wonder if the Canucks can get him at 11 overall
Like him a lot .Sabres fan.
Great video and analysis! Welcome to Buffalo Zach, go Sabres!
Welcome to Buffalo!! We are finally building something here🙏
Dude where have you been the last 2 seasons?
How is his shot? We haven't seen much about it?
Great video as always
It would be a mistake not to pick Benson just because of his size. You can always trade him anytime for the big guys if your team is lacking in size that much.
Hope flyers take him if he’s available that’s what they need a player who can do it all
If they pass on Benson it better be for Michkov or Smith!
@@boomer1049 with you on that
I’m not big on Michkov personally he plays great but with everything going on and that contract doesn’t seem worth it to me
@@codynick1999 the more I read about him I don’t want him to many red flags there’s plenty of players just as good if not better
Just a few minutes into this and suddenly the name Pavel Datsyuk came to mind.
Holy hell I thought the same thing
Hello hockey fans. Laugh not. Sabres will be a friggin' power house in 2 seasons!
Buffalo is set to win big
Buffallllooooo
Welcome to Buffalo
Benson or Michkov to Philly cmon🙏🏼
or leonard
but benson fits the philly mold of a two way forward
Nice breakdown, got me hoping my caps get him at 8, after seeing this I don’t think he will be available
And he WAS available at 8.. and 9, and 10...and... GO SABRES!
He's gonna be pretty good 👍 right there with Smith 😊
This guy could be elite level blue liner. The dangle of Pavel Datsyuk with the angles of Niklas Lidstrom. The Sabres will win the Cup in 2 seasons
Blue liner? He’s a winger. Duh
Buffalo was just like yoink
lol 😅
Does Benson have a shot at playing C in the league? Or is he destined for the wing?
Like a 1% shot, players who don't play C at lower levels almost never do in the NHL.
Gonna be real hard to play C in Buffalo. Cozens and Thompson are allready a lock and 1+2 C. They still have insanely good center prospects after those 2. It's almost not even funny how much young talent this Sabres team has right now. There's legit 1-5 guys that could/probably should be on the roster next year but won't be able to
I’m seeing some Patrick Kane and Pavel Datsyuk here.
If he was 6’2-6’3…
He’d be in the conversation for 2nd overall imo
100%
I think he is a better player than LHC Matthew Savoie.
Even though Zach is a LW both players have comparables. But Benson seems like he has more upside.
Savoie went 9th overall in 2022, but Benson is in a strong draft class and we will see where he goes in the draft order.
In a weak draft Benson could be a top 6 player overall, instead he may be top 10.
EVEN
in that monumentally stacked draft…
He’s in my Top 6
@@sb0182 If one or both defenders are taken in the top 8 Benson could slip down as well as Ryan Leonard, and Dvorsky.
It’s like watching how lane Hutson would look playing forward very similar moves
Now he's joining Matt Savoie in Buffalo.
This title is what I like to hear. Let’s go Buffalo.
He almost reminds me of mitch marner a little
What do you think Buffalo fans, was this a reach or a steal at 13?
Equal talent to Bedard
@@Elvetos that is some extremely high praise right there
Biggest steal of the draft 😊
@@Freedom_is_essential1 why? Best player on the best team, best +/-, good D game, more skilled than Bedard, good shot.
@@Elvetos oh I’m not minimizing Benson, it’s just that Bedard is rated as a generational type talent and a consensus #1
I think his playstyle reminds me of a shorter Elias Pettersson without as good a shot.....if hes at 11 the Canucks need to pick him imo
This guy is going to have at least 2 100 pt seasons in Buffalo.
He plays like Jonathan Marchessault
Brayden Point
Welcome to Buffalo Kid!
Let’s go Buffalo!
Quin Musty scored at about the same PPG rate as Benson in the CHL, for a less prolific offensive team. Musty is younger, substantially bigger, and far more physical a winger. Why should Benson be rated higher?
He's smarter, a better playmaker, and a better defensive player. Musty is smart, but Benson is a genius.
@@davidst-louis8315 perfectly answered lol thanks ^^
Benson is better overall not even close his ability to drive a line.. Musty just can't do the same pretty obvious tho as David said with other words Benson is just better overall
@@Al_Andaloussi85 Meh, Musty was more productive in relation to the talent around him. If Benson was such a hockey genius, he would have scored 150 points on that loaded team and they would have dominated the playoffs. Musty has more upside.
Wings are definitely taking Benson or Moore. Yzerman players.
what a STEAL at 13 for the Sabres
the blues could take him at 10th..
I would be so happy if that happens.
I don’t think he’ll still be there tbh
@@sb0182 If I told you the future you wouldn't believe me.
kent hughes please see this
Wouldn’t be surprised if GMs don’t learn their lesson with Caufield and Benson drops out of the top 10. I can see Buffalo or Pittsburgh stealing him at 13th or 14th overall.
Nah, if he’s there at 9, Yzerman is taking him
Why would you compare those players? 5'7" is super anomalous while 5'10" is quite normal.
@@tristanmcguire4820 I don't know I think Yzerman could prefer Moore or Dvorsky if they're still there at that spot
Good call Bub 👍👍👍
@@Al_Andaloussi85 We we’re both wrong lol
Man do I hope he falls to us
Brayden Point 2.0
idk… don’t think he’s that guy tbh. we’ll see in a few years.
Hab🫵
Datsyukian
Actually, a great comparable.
Too bad the Canucks didn't get him
Welcome to Buffalo!!!!!!!
Welcome to Buffalo!