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No, that's not true. What I'm saying is Utah wasn't very good and he didn't play much so there's nothing to indicate he can be a top 6 forward yet. That's all. There's no evidence he is anything. He MIGHT be, but he might not. Penciling him in for a top 6 role at this point seems silly.

Well yes, you can look at it that way but my point would still be we do not develop them properly. Not "properly insulated" and not "supported" with the roster as they build it is the problem. It's the full system of how we do it. That's really my point so at some stage I feel we need to reset it and start doing it the right way. Being on a team that wins. Being on a team that has a playoff run (even if it's AHL, it's still part of the process of becoming a pro). All of that matters too and that's part of why I think it would help him rather than hinder him. Proper NHL roster with insulation and support would be ideal as well but we don't have it. Consider how we develop players however. Look at the differences in how the veterans we do bring in play from the way our home grown players play. That in and of itself is very telling.

Hoping if there's a cheap shot this year (and why wouldn't there be) he's one of many that will actually do ANYTHING.

I haven't been able to watch full games (don't know where to find them) but there's some decent highlight videos and he seems to be a solid front of the net presence and a hustler, always seems to be hustling his way to the net.

Aren’t you the same guy who is always complaining about the Sabres rushing their prospects? So when a team brings up a player in his first year and puts him in the top 6 it’s because they’re rushing him, and when they bring him up in his 2nd year and put him in the bottom 6 it’s because they don’t think he’s any good? Lets just call a spade a spade, if he’s a Sabre, you think they’re doing it wrong.

Quinn and Peterka dominated at the AHL level before they made the team and performed at an NHL level when they arrived. Kulich played 2 full seasons and went back again for the playoffs this year. Johnson and Rosen are still cooking. Novikov and Wahlberg are still cooking. Östlund and Helenius are still cooking. Power and Benson have been NHL players from day one no matter what way you try to spin them. Have Sabres properly insulated and supported them? No. Have they done a good job of building an NHL roster?Absolutely not. It’s not the fact these players were in the NHL too early that’s the issue, it’s the fact that there were too many of them at the same time with not enough veteran support.

Zuck Tage Tuch Benson McLeod Greenway Kulich Norris Doan Quinn Krebs Danforth Byram/Rasmus Power/Kesselring Mr.Glass/Timmins UPL/Lyon

Zach Benson doesn't need the AHL.

This team has developed players poorly for so long people here have forgotten how it's actually done. and then they wonder why the ship sails in circles with no leadership. If Benson got to lead a team to a Calder Cup while working on his strength and muscle he'd return a far better player than he will be as is but whatever. I'm not going to keep arguing the failure of Sabres development. The results speak for themselves.

His analytics would say otherwise; plus you can add 10 to 15 pts to his total if guys would just bang in pucks he gets to the front after he digs them out of the boards.

If they keep him on the 1st line he'll be somewhere around 40-50 points. One the third line, where he belongs, maybe 30-40 points. He's not a scorer, he's an undersized forechecking puck hound. He's good at it, that's his role. There is absolutely nothing tangible to suggest he'll ever be anything more than that.

Yep. (Particularly to the stuff about Benny.) Would really like to see Ruff come up with a lineup that doesn't have both Benson and Kulich on the top line. Barring another move (and one HAS to be coming, right? it just makes so darn much sense (yeah, yeah, wishful thinking)) expect they won't both be there on day 1, but expect they will be before October is out. They could be great there a couple of seasons from now, but right now, would rather have more experienced players with Thompson letting the kids not face the same quality of opponents that Thompson will always get on the road and usually get at home. (AKA, either the other team's top offensive line or their top defensive line depending upon the makeup and philosophy of the opponent that night.)

At this point, Benson is going to get better by being challenged by NHL-caliber defenders. He doesn’t need to work on defense at the AHL level. He doesn’t need to create chances for AHL-level finishers. Should he be LW1? Nope. But that’s the franchise’s fault, not his. Let Benson cook. Every team in the playoffs last season would’ve taken Benson on their playoff roster in a heartbeat. Minnesota would’ve put him on their 4th line because he’s short and they don’t like short kids getting schooled by Eichel and Hertl. But they should’ve offered the farm for Cozens and watched a taller kid get schooled by Eichel and Hertl.

Pegula will insist on a publicly-funded multisport/concert venue with state of the art luxury boxes to “stay competitive” as though he didn’t shave $50M in Sabres player expenses since COVID hit. Woe is us, we need a new vEEEnue!

I did read (here on ‘Space) that it has been reported that Dahlin and Muel also vouched for Wilford. He may be a good communicator and they’re comfortable with him. That’s fine. I want my players to enjoy coming to work. But I want my players to be challenged, reach their potential, and show progress. And have good Xs and Os in game. And that’s where I don’t care what contract Wilford has, I need a better person in charge of a 1OA, 1OA, and 4OA. That coach needs to be getting the most out of my most important investments. Especially if I’m trading away 2OA forwards and never putting any money in a proven goalie.

I don’t think anyone expects Doan to replace JJP. Benson, Quinn and Kulich will be expected to replace the offense. Doan brings something completely different.

A few times. The new one has kinda the same 'vibe', just not as good. Not awful, just a step down imo from the original, a few too many cameos.

That's my point. They didn't see him as anything higher up the roster so why do we?

Well I believe that these younger players develop better if they have less pressure and can focus fully on aspects of their game and body that needs it. Both Tage and Mitts came back from Rochester better players than the ones that went down right? I don't want Benson to just be good for us, U want him to be great for us. If he's truly too dominant for Rochester he gets called back up later in the year. This is not complicated. If in camp he outperforms veterans by a lot then he also stays but that sort of internal competition is missing and these kids don't learn the right way to compete. There is always a lack of adequate veteran presence on this team and there still is.

Superman’s avoidance of collateral damage was a welcomed change from the Snyder movies.

Well, we know the county wants out of the business of owning the arena. So that's probably a good starting point.

Yet his assist to Drury set up the game winning OT goal in one of the greatest games ever played

Had the same take on Superman - just a good dude. Have you seen the first Happy Gilmore? It’s a childhood favourite, sort of reluctant to watch

God for once I just want Forton to prove me wrong, just once.

Yeah some have completely written him off because they wanted other players in the 2nd round. Goalies are complete voodoo and he could easily turn into something.