Benson is a participant ok and attractive sufficient that the Sabres chosen him within the first spherical (No. 13) of the 2023 NHL Draft, a participant who scored 98 factors (36 objectives, 62 assists) in 60 video games in 2022-23 with Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League to guide the staff, three greater than now-Edmonton Oilers ahead Matt Savoie. He had a career-high 43 factors (13 objectives, 30 assists) in 65 video games this season, his third within the NHL.
“It’s been cool to see his success and his path to play (at a younger age} at that dimension (5-foot-10, 177 kilos) and simply the grit he performs with, you see how efficient he’s within the playoffs, and he performs with a number of vitality,” Savoie stated.
“We’re each smaller guys that prefer to get on the forecheck and type of disrupt issues, sneaky talent across the web, can rating, could make performs and we learn the sport properly, so we play the same sport.”
Benson has seven factors (4 objectives, three assists) in 10 video games in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, along with his 4 objectives tying him with Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram and Thompson to guide the Sabres, though he’s enjoying not less than 4 minutes much less per sport (15:43) than every of these teammates.
His 4 objectives within the playoffs additionally tied Pierre Turgeon (1988), Dave Andreychuk (1985) and Alan Haworth (1981) for the third-most in a playoff yr by a Sabres participant age 21 or youthful, behind solely Danny Gare, who had seven in 1975 and 5 in 1976.
Each numbers are inside attain, particularly now that the Sabres have tied the collection with the Canadiens.
“He’s acquired a ton of talent,” Thompson stated. “He’s a excessive first-round choose and thinks the sport extraordinarily properly. I feel the poise he has there within the slot, a number of guys would panic with that. Often don’t have an excessive amount of time within the slot there, guys are collapsing on you, and he’s acquired sufficient poise to carry on to it and take it to his backhand and get it upstairs fast.”
On Tuesday, the purpose got here on the facility play, with Benson battling for area in entrance of the crease with Mike Matheson. He was capable of create a gap, the place he was positioned to obtain a centering move from Josh Doan within the slot, placing a backhand shot previous Jakub Dobes.
“I feel he’s a participant that talent nearly goes underrated for the way arduous he works,” stated Sabres ahead Beck Malenstyn, who has skated with Benson in the summertime in Vancouver. “You see him a lot within the corners and puck battles, however the performs that he’s capable of make out of these high-intensity tight areas are — it’s simply phenomenal. His motor doesn’t cease.”
On the ice. Off the ice. Wherever.
Benson, as Malenstyn stated, “enjoys the bickering, the confrontation.” It’s what will get him going, what makes him efficient, what makes him tick, whether or not that’s with teammates within the locker room, opponents on ice, whoever, every time.
“It’s relentless,” Malenstyn stated. “Every little thing about his sport is relentless. He’s going to be in each single scrum, he’s going to be in your approach after each single whistle. He’s going to win stick battles with you 50-50, irrespective of his dimension. I feel it’s one thing that in all probability is ingrained in his DNA.”
There’s “an artwork to his insanity,” Buffalo goalie Alex Lyon stated.