Throughout the course of the preseason, Zach Benson has been the player to watch on the Sabres’ roster. As of Oct. 9, Benson has officially made the team out of training camp and is slated to play on the third line with Casey Mittelstadt and Jordan Greenway. Benson making this team is not only an incredible personal feat, but it also means that the Sabres are willing to make the tough choices to make their roster the best it can be.
Kevyn Adams has generally functioned under the idea that allowing prospects time in the junior, college, European, or minor leagues to develop is the right choice to allow them to grow at the right pace. He has done so with Jiri Kulich, Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund, and Matt Savoie last season, so seeing Benson on the opening night roster is big news. The bottom line is that he was clearly ready to make the jump right to the NHL, and the former 13th-overall pick in 2023 ran away with his opportunities. Now that the Sabres have their sights set on opening night, it is only a matter of time before fans get to see how Benson matches up to full-blown NHL competition.
How Should Benson Be Used?
During his time in Buffalo so far, Benson has shown he can be a multi-use tool for coach Don Granato. He has good two-way abilities, and a knack for being in the right place to produce offense. No matter the situation, he has shown that he can be a play driver and finisher when the situation arises. His five preseason goals were among the top in the NHL, but realistically he will not be scoring goals at a 70-plus-goal rate. He should be used as a transition forward who works in unison with Mittelstadt to create secondary scoring; that will allow more creativity and production on his part. He is a point scorer for sure. Now he just needs to be put in the position to succeed.
He will likely be used as a second power-play option, but I think Granato should reconsider that and put him on the top unit. In the preseason, he did some fantastic work as a slot specialist, and was constantly a threat to either score or make some brilliant plays. At times, the Sabres’ power-play last season got stale as they constantly were just looking to set up Tage Thompson or Victor Olofsson for one-timer shots. Adding Benson to the slot on the main power play would give it new life and depth for them to explore more options when things get dry.
How Long Does Benson Keep His Spot?
There are a few factors that will determine if Benson keeps his spot. The first is obviously his own gameplay and how he looks on a nightly basis. If he continues to succeed and show progress, then I don’t see Granato wanting to rotate him out, but I also don’t think he will get a very long leash considering the players waiting in the wings. Savoie will be returning from injury soon, and since he is not eligible to be sent to the minors, he will be given an opportunity to claim his spot once he is healthy. Between Benson and Savoie, there is a chance they get rotated, but right now Benson has the inside track. The other factor that needs to be looked at is the eventual return of Jack Quinn.
With him being out with an injury until likely December, there is some time for Benson to claim and retain his roster spot. This would force Granato and Adams to decide what to do with players like Jordan Greenway and Victor Olofsson. Quinn is much more of an offensive threat than those two, and he will likely be reunited with linemates JJ Peterka and Dylan Cozens. This would mean Benson would be fighting for his roster spot against Olofsson or Greenway. Truth be told, right now he is a better option than either of them, but as injuries are always an issue, it is better to have them all on the team rather than needing to make call-ups from Rochester.
Benson Deserves To Play The Full Season
The kid did everything that was expected of him and more. He showed up to camp ready to play and compete, and then he ran away with the chances he was given. Whether he was slotted with Thompson on the top line or Mittelstadt on the third line, he never stopped working. Now that he has made the roster, he deserves the full look to really get a grasp on what he needs to do to become an NHL player. The Sabres need all the help they can get if they are going to become more consistent and win enough games to make the playoffs.
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Benson can be that kind of difference maker for them this season. He has the scoring touch, the defensive awareness, and the tenacity to succeed in every way that he needs to. If he continues to shine and be that kind of difference maker, there are zero reasons he should be sent down to his junior team. I, for one, am excited to see what he can do with a full opportunity, and it will be amazing to watch how he learns and dazzles the fans with his skill and hockey IQ. There is still a lot left to be done before this move can be declared a success or not, but Benson is not the kind of player that backs down from a challenge. If he continues trending as well as he did in preseason, he may even challenge the likes of Devon Levi, Logan Cooley, and Connor Bedard for the Calder Trophy. For now, all we can do is watch and wait.
