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As you yourself note that he is a confident kid. You act as if he was an overwhelmed player in the NHL. That was far from the actually case. As a player he was an asset and not a drag.

How they compose lines to match opponents top6-lines bothers me. They didn't get the job done last season and I think they still are too unexperinced this season. Do they have lines that can shut down other teams top lines? My answer would be No.

Idk what damage a player creating at his rates at 19yrs old has. Once Buffalo transitions more to the cycle game they should be playing, probably this season, we'll see a jump. He didn't do that last year because Lindy Ruff didn't give him enough time with good players or enough toi in general. Zach Benson will be fine.

Zach Benson was the 4th youngest NHL player last season. Despite that, he produced at good rates and was borderline elite defensively.

Over

Tage isn't a playmaker either regardless of stats. I don't really know what Norris will bring them but I believe he can motor (if healthy) and will do better with more open ice. I am simply reluctant to have youngsters in key offensive roles. It hasn't worked yet and it won't work now.

You don’t get it. Benson isn’t being forced to play a different way: this is how he plays, how he has always played. This is how he scored points as a junior and how he will score points in the NHL if and when his strength and his shot mature to an NHL level so he can finish what he started. You talk like there’s a JJ Peterka skill set in there that’s been stifled. That’s not his game and never was.

Yup. "Classic" lines have a scorer, a playmaker, and a forechecker on them. And on good teams, at least two of the top line's players can typically take on more than one of those roles.

I'm setting the o/u for Benson point total at 39.5. Takers?

He was a 17 year old offensive star in juniors, should've let him continue to develop his creative skill instead of forcing him to play a much more disciplined pro game at such a critical stage of his development. He's a confident kid, so that helps his case, but I'm afraid the damage has already been done.

His 10g and 28 points in his second full season speaks for itself. That doesn't exactly scream "young offensive star". He was an offensive juggernaut in Winnipeg. Buffalo turned him into a forechecking role player like a smaller version of Zemgus Girgensons (who also posted 30pts in his second full season). I really hope that's not his carrer arc, but I'm concerned.

There is such a thing as a player not being talented enough to play with your most talented players. Never stopped Jochen Hecht from playing with Brière, or Mike Grier from playing with Drury. Or Evan Rodrigues from skating with the top guys in Florida. People shouldnt be basing their line choices entirely on offence. Line chemistry and matchup success is what matters. In theory I have no problem with Greenway playing with more talented players if he supplies what the line needs.

Norris is not a playmaker, full stop. Never has been. He has topped 20 assists in a season just once, including AHL and college. He has just 67 assists in 239 NHL games.

I see Terry has a nice big 100 million yacht so he is abandoning this sinking ship.

It's true about Greenway, but I want a veteran grinder beside Kulich. Open up space for him and Tuch to do the scoring. As I said, I think Adams failed by not getting another top 6 player so I'm working with what's there to create line chemistry and complimentary function. Similarly if Norris can be the playmaker, that can allow Tage to be the sniper. Zucker is the reliable 2 way vet to cover for them but again, ideally, I'd prefer an upgrade. No he's not, but we are missing one (if not two) so line chemistry and function is my focus.

Not necessarily. Some players simply aren't suited for playing on the top two lines. However, Benson is.

In your opinion, has the arena reached the stage in its lifespan where putting more money into it is not worth it? Just as the Orchard Park stadium reached a diminishing return on rehabilitation investment, it seems that the Key Bank arena has gotten to that same point where it would be better to invest money in a new arena rather than re-patching the patches that already exist.

The one thing that his play indicated to me is that he had enough confidence where the lack of confidence issue was not a concern at all. Was his offensive game hindered by his lack of strength and weak shot? Of course it was. But that was primarily because of his lack of strength due to his age. However, when watching him play I never felt that he was a liability or hindered the other players on his line. There was a scrappiness to his game that many other players lacked. I don't know how much more physically developed he will be entering in this camp. It may take more than a few years for him to reach a physical maturity before his offense will be more developed. But I'm sure that based on what I saw last year that he will be a contributing player and not a fringe player for us. In making a judgment that can't be proved or disproved, I would say that he benefited more playing in the NHL last year than he would have if he stayed in the juniors and dominated. That's how I see it.

Honestly, maybe I'll hate them less if they leave and come back. Unsure if three years is enough time for that.

Considering how late into the offseason that we are, it does seem like Guerin took plenty of time.

Is there anyone who has got a whiff of Benson playing tentative hockey? I feel like your criticisms are of a generic “young offensive star not lighting it up” variety, not real observations of the player, his game or his mindset

Some GMs don’t spend much time worrying about how happy a player is.

Same could be said for just about every player on the roster.

Sure there's learning the pro game but there's also a level of confidence you'd like your prospects to maintain during that process. We'll see, if given the opportunity, does he have the confidence to take chances on the offensive side of the puck.

Pretty cheap for 60 point center.