Zach Benson: how good will he be this year?

[dudacek]

Fantastic tape of the Carnival Kid playing the game as it was meant to be played.

Winning battles, going to the dirty areas, making smart passes and working his ass off.

 

What are people's expectations for #9 this year?

Edited 4 hours ago by dudacek

[Pimlach]

I picked the first option.   I think he is going to be a good player.  

[oddoublee]

Like the idea for the poll...but feel like it's missing an option...

He's a future strong top 6 player. I still think he needs a little more marinating. 

14 goals and 18 assists. 

He's still a kid. 

[Archie Lee]

I love the kid. I think he can and will be an effective top 6 player this year. I think fans who look at his point total and don’t see a top 6 player, are under the false impression that playoff teams have 1st lines of 70+ point players and 2nd lines of 60+ point players, etc., when this is just not the case. If Benson plays the entire year on a line with Thompson or Tuch and gets some PP time, he will get 40 points at minimum and that combined with his defensive acumen and the grit and energy he brings will make him a very good top 6 player. I also think that his skating and, to a lesser degree, his size, do represent legitimate issues and probably cap his ceiling below that of a true 1st line, star calibre player. But, so what?  

[JohnC]

5 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I love the kid. I think he can and will be an effective top 6 player this year. I think fans who look at his point total and don’t see a top 6 player, are under the false impression that playoff teams have 1st lines of 70+ point players and 2nd lines of 60+ point players, etc., when this is just not the case. If Benson plays the entire year on a line with Thompson or Tuch and gets some PP time, he will get 40 points at minimum and that combined with his defensive acumen and the grit and energy he brings will make him a very good top 6 player. I also think that his skating and, to a lesser degree, his size, do represent legitimate issues and probably cap his ceiling below that of a true 1st line, star calibre player. But, so what?  

I can’t recall a game last year where I considered him a liability. He’s an effort player who didn’t coast no matter what the situation was. It’s going to be interesting to see if he comes into camp bulkier and stronger.

[shrader]

Calder candidate

[Thorny]

Not really in love with the poll options. Probably closest to 1, but it’s not something I necessarily expect to unfold this season 

that the sabres are counting on it necessarily, for success, on that sort of time frame, when he’s 19 or whatever isn’t a commentary on being a beaten down fan if one finds difficulty in predicting it: it’s a commentary on the fact it’s an objective gamble 

[7+6=13]

This young man just plays the game right.  The best way I know how to support that statement is to take a dig at myself.  I know so little about hockey "fundamentals" or how to look at the off puck things or another words, seeing with my eyes that a player has high hockey IQ.

Even I see it with Benson.

I believe it's unlikely at this point that he doesn't become good.  It would have to be injury driven, IMO, or something like that.  When he gets more grow man strength, I think he's got a shot at being very good.

[Archie Lee]

20 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Not really in love with the poll options. Probably closest to 1, but it’s not something I necessarily expect to unfold this season 

that the sabres are counting on it necessarily, for success, on that sort of time frame, when he’s 19 or whatever isn’t a commentary on being a beaten down fan if one finds difficulty in predicting it: it’s a commentary on the fact it’s an objective gamble 

I do think the Sabres should trade for a veteran player or two and that it would increase their chances of making the playoffs if they made the right trade(s). I would trade Kulich and Quinn for Rakell and Rust without a 2nd thought , as an example.  

There was no two part question here though. The question is how good do you think Benson will be this year, not how good do you think Benson will be this year and what does that mean to the Sabres chances of making the playoffs if they don’t make any additional roster moves? If it had been the two part question, I would have added to my praise of Benson that as good as I think he is, it won’t be nearly enough to help the Sabres be a playoff team. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Archie Lee

[K-9]

He plays the game the right way so it largely depends on his line mates. Also depends on any added strength over the offseason. 

[Porous Five Hole]

The important thing about understanding his value is equating intangibles against points.  Benson is not afraid of contact and the front of the net. He’s a real 🍆 on the ice and is the definition of hard to play against despite being short.  
 

So what is the measuring stick for him? If it’s points, the soon to be 21 year old will underwhelm you next season.  If it’s defensively elite and hard to play against, then he’s top six ALL DAY.  

[Thorny]

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

I do think the Sabres should trade for a veteran player or two and that it would increase their chances of making the playoffs if they made the right trade(s). I would trade Kulich and Quinn for Rakell and Rust without a 2nd thought , as an example.  

There was no two part question here though. The question is how good do you think Benson will be this year, not how good do you think Benson will be this year and what does that mean to the Sabres chances of making the playoffs if they don’t make any additional roster moves? If it had been the two part question, I would have added to my praise of Benson that as good as I think he is, it won’t be nearly enough to help the Sabres be a playoff team. 

Ya your take is fine, I just disagreed with the bit where you said you expect Benson to be a “very good” top 6 player with 40 points minimum etc. To me a “very good” top 6er is a borderline first liner and I don’t feel comfortable labeling Benson as that yes, even if he has the skills to one day be it 

Maybe I’m crazy but if the goal is a playoff team, not even the standard, not even the expectation given missing 14 years, just the goal: all 3 of my first liners are bonafide first liners, not 2 guys who are and 1 who may be because of them 

I’m sure there will be an excellent follow up post from someone explaining to me why benson is actually better than the 2nd LWer on every team to make the playoffs in the last decade, and how no one on the team is actually out of place besides the goalie or something. But ya to me there never seem to be enough purported holes and disadvantages to add up to the record, with the amount that get discarded over the course of your average summer 

probably the result of a multitude of coin-flips spread throughout the roster, where they can conceivably all individually go right, but the combination of them all doing so mathematically very unlikely 

Edited 54 minutes ago by Thorny

[steveoath]

We need more Bensons. 

[Weave]

Just now, steveoath said:

We need more veteran Bensons. 

Fixed.

[dudacek]

27 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Ya your take is fine, I just disagreed with the bit where you said you expect Benson to be a “very good” top 6 player with 40 points minimum etc. To me a “very good” top 6er is a borderline first liner and I don’t feel comfortable labeling Benson as that yes, even if he has the skills to one day be it 

Maybe I’m crazy but if the goal is a playoff team, not even the standard, not even the expectation given missing 14 years, just the goal: all 3 of my first liners are bonafide first liners, not 2 guys who are and 1 who may be because of them 

I’m sure there will be an excellent follow up post from someone explaining to me why benson is actually better than the 2nd LWer on every team to make the playoffs in the last decade, and how no one on the team is actually out of place besides the goalie or something. But ya to me there never seem to be enough purported holes and disadvantages to add up to the record, with the amount that get discarded over the course of your average summer 

probably the result of a multitude of coin-flips spread throughout the roster, where they can conceivably all individually go right, but the combination of them all doing so mathematically very unlikely 

Not disagreeing with your underlying point, but it reminded me of something I do disagree with that's become a bit of a summertime meme.

If:

• UPL plays like a legitimate starter
• Lyon plays provides 30+ good games
• Norris stays healthy
• Greenway stays healthy
• Benson takes a step
• Quinn takes a step
• Kulich takes a step
• Power takes a step
• Kesselring is what he's supposed to be
• they replace Peterka's offence
• they play better team defence
• and they fix their special teams

they might make the playoffs.

No, none of those things happened and they missed the playoffs by 12 points. They need some of those things to happen to give them a chance to make the playoffs. Ottawa didn't jump from 78 points to 97 by dramatically overhauling the roster. They made one big move (Ullmark), a few support pieces and the players played better, collectively. That's typically how it works in the NHL.

If all those things above happen the Sabres will be this year's Washington Capitals.