The more people you talk to about Zach Benson, the more you realize the Chilliwack Minor Hockey product is going to be a bona fide NHL star.
Benson is in his rookie year with the Buffalo Sabres but he isn乌鸦传媒檛 exactly putting up numbers like 乌鸦传媒榯hat other乌鸦传媒� B.C. kid who乌鸦传媒檚 doing his thing with the Chicago Blackhawks.
After Tuesday乌鸦传媒檚 3-2 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver, Benson乌鸦传媒檚 season totals are a modest 9 goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 59 games. That乌鸦传媒檚 31 points behind North Vancouver乌鸦传媒檚 Connor Bedard, who is the frontrunner for the Calder Trophy as the NHL乌鸦传媒檚 Rookie of the Year.
In fact, Benson is 14th in the overall rookie scoring race but there乌鸦传媒檚 one major caveat.
He乌鸦传媒檚 doing it as the NHL乌鸦传媒檚 second-youngest player at 18-years-of-age with only Bedard being younger.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 had an incredible season. He made our team because he乌鸦传媒檚 a very intelligent player 乌鸦传媒� specifically without the puck. There are a lot of things that you would have to send a player back to junior or to the American Hockey League to learn (such as) playing without the puck, positioning without the puck, ability to compliment linemates, high compete and the ability to deal with the strength and size of opposing players despite only being 18-years-old,乌鸦传媒� said Sabres head coach Don Granato. 乌鸦传媒淭hose are all things you get sent back down for but he乌鸦传媒檚 been great in all of those areas and he乌鸦传媒檚 been consistent in all of them from day one in training camp.乌鸦传媒�
That consistency is one of the things that long-time Sabre color analyst Rob Ray has noticed on a nightly basis. Ray has seen a lot of players come and go during his 25-plus years with the organization as a player and now broadcaster.
The former tough guy never pulled any punches as a player or as an analyst, so when Ray is praising an 18-year-old, you know Zach Benson is doing the right things.
乌鸦传媒淚 think he乌鸦传媒檚 fit in very well. He乌鸦传媒檚 very well-respected amongst the guys. He understands he乌鸦传媒檚 a rookie and he knows his place. A lot of guys come in and are cocky and demand more. This guy just does his thing and he乌鸦传媒檚 gained a ton of respect. He has zero ego. He just goes out and works hard every day. He乌鸦传媒檚 been put in different situations but every time he goes out onto the ice he plays the same way. He乌鸦传媒檚 never been a liability at any point,乌鸦传媒� noted Ray.
While some touted Benson as a Top-10 pick in last year乌鸦传媒檚 NHL Entry Draft, he fell to the Sabres at the 13th spot. A highly skilled player with the WHL乌鸦传媒檚 Winnipeg Ice, Benson乌鸦传媒檚 lack of size scared some teams off.
At 5乌鸦传媒�10乌鸦传媒� and 170 pounds, what Benson lacks in size is made up for with intelligence.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 gotten to be advanced as he is because he乌鸦传媒檚 a self-learner and he乌鸦传媒檚 a quick learner. You can present things to him between shifts and he can execute. He can adjust as fast as any guy on our team. That乌鸦传媒檚 a talent on his own,乌鸦传媒� explained Granato.
As for Benson, he乌鸦传媒檚 just loving it all 乌鸦传媒� especially playing in front of friends and family in Vancouver for the first time.
Benson even admits he had that 乌鸦传媒榩inch me乌鸦传媒� moment prior to the game against the Canucks.
乌鸦传媒淗onestly, it was in warm-up. Looking around, it was pretty crazy. To be able to step on the ice for the first time there that was kind of another 乌鸦传媒渨elcome to the NHL moment,乌鸦传媒� said Benson, who attended Canucks games growing up.
Playing at the NHL level means that when Benson now goes into a corner, it乌鸦传媒檚 with a grown man 乌鸦传媒� not a 17-year-old kid as was the case in the WHL. Players are bigger, faster and stronger. The same decisions have to be made but with much less time and space.
It means trying to find out what he can and can乌鸦传媒檛 do at the NHL level. The good thing about Granato is that he乌鸦传媒檚 given Benson enough rope to see what he can and can乌鸦传媒檛 do without benching him or even scratching him from the lineup. Benson has reciprocated by learning form his mistakes.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 my first year. You乌鸦传媒檙e going to make mistakes and I乌鸦传媒檝e made mistakes. Donnie let乌鸦传媒檚 you know when you make a mistake, but he also is not going to park you on the bench the rest of the game because you made a little mistake,乌鸦传媒� said Benson.
OVERTIME
* The Canucks opened the scoring on a first period goal by Conor Garland and took a 2-0 lead when Elias Pettersson scored in the second period. The Sabres cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the third period with Rasmus Dahlin乌鸦传媒檚 marker but Pettersson scored his second of the game into an empty net with 1:51 remaining to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead. Dahlin made things interesting when he got his second of the game with 22 seconds left but Vancouver hung on for the win.
* 乌鸦传媒淚t was a good effort. Obviously, another good start 乌鸦传媒� I think are starts have been really good lately 乌鸦传媒� and I thought when they scored I liked our response. That乌鸦传媒檚 something we乌鸦传媒檝e been working on,乌鸦传媒� J.T. Miller stated afterwards.
* Vancouver goalie Casey DeSmith made 15 saves in the game while Buffalo乌鸦传媒檚 Devon Levi made 31 stops.
* Miller took a shot off his foot in the first period and went to the dressing room for the remainder of the period before returning to start the second. Needless to say, Miller乌鸦传媒檚 injury did cause Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet some anxiety. 乌鸦传媒淚 did think for a second 乌鸦传媒榟ere we go乌鸦传媒� but the trainer came back and said he乌鸦传媒檚 coming back. That was big. It乌鸦传媒檚 never fun when one of your best players takes a shot. You乌鸦传媒檙e thinking the worst,乌鸦传媒� said Tocchet.
* Former longtime Canucks physician Dr. Ross Davidson paid a visit to the alumni suite on Tuesday night. Davidson, who was one of the founders of the UBC Sports Medicine Clinic in the 1980乌鸦传媒檚, spends the bulk of his time in his New Zealand but still maintains a residence in Vancouver and visits on a regular basis.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 乌鸦传媒渢he Moj乌鸦传媒� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
