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Buffalo Sabres earn an ultra-high grade with Zach Benson

By Sion Fawkes

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 28: Zach Benson is selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 13th overall pick during round one of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 28: Zach Benson is selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 13th overall pick during round one of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Buffalo Sabres selected Zach Benson at 13th overall, and the dominoes couldn’t have fallen any better for the Blue and Gold.

In my mock drafts, there was one reason I didn’t peg Zach Benson to the Buffalo Sabres: I didn’t think there was a chance he would fall to 13th overall. But, a couple of teams landed some surprise picks, and the dominoes fell perfectly for the Blue and Gold.

Last season, I gave the Sabres a high grade for selecting Matt Savoie, and the Winnipeg Ice product only improved over the past season. So it only makes sense to give Kevyn Adams and Company an ultra-high grade for selecting Savoie’s teammate on the Ice, Zach Benson.

That alone improves the Sabres prospects pool, and now it seems inevitable that, in time, we will see this dynamic duo take the ice in blue and gold (and/or black, red, and silver) uniforms. Last year, Benson was a scoring machine, sinking 98 points in 60 regular season games, including 36 goals and 62 assists. He also added 17 points in 15 playoff games, giving him a total of 115 points, 43 goals, and 72 assists in 75 outings.

Buffalo Sabres thinking about chemistry with addition of Zach Benson

The more I read about Benson, the more I liked him, but first and foremost, taking the 18-year-old gives him and Savoie a chance to continue building chemistry not only for their days playing junior hockey, but eventually the NHL, was just genius. This probably won’t always be the case this season, as Savoie will likely take the “Shane Wright Route,” giving him a chance to play in a handful of NHL and AHL games before he reverts back to the Ice (who will be playing in Washington state next season).

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Overall, major kudos to Kevyn Adams and his crew, and the second I saw Benson’s name dropping closer and closer to 13th overall, I knew it was a done deal. I can’t wait to see Benson and Savoie keep growing together, knowing they should someday become teammates on NHL ice. That makes for one incredible story.

(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)

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