Recently, The Athletic ranked Zach Benson as the Buffalo Sabres top prospect over the likes of Devon Levi, Jiri Kulich, and Matt Savoie.
Earlier in the year, I gave three reasons why each Buffalo Sabres prospect could wind up in the lineup, even if they had nothing more than an ultra-slim chance to burst into it. One prospect I never mentioned, even after he signed, was Zach Benson, since for a while, I figured there was no chance he would sneak his way into the NHL this season, even with Jack Quinn slated to miss time.
Then I read a prospects rankings piece written by Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, and I thought to myself, “Maybe Benson does have an outside chance.” A micro chance, but that’s better than no chance, so it’s appropriate we at least explore the possibility. Consider Fairburn’s remark that jumped out at me…
"“Most likely, Benson will end up back in the WHL playing for the Wenatchee Wild. He’s a bit of a dark horse to stick around in the NHL, though. I’m interested to see how he fits in once he’s on the ice at training camp with the NHL roster.” – via The Athletic"
Buffalo Sabres fans should not count out Zach Benson just yet
Now, this isn’t an article that’s endorsing Benson to play, nor is it making the case that he will even come close to seeing NHL ice apart from a couple of preseason games. But I also agree with Fairburn that Benson can be “a dark horse” to remain in the Queen City if he outplays the likes of Jiri Kulich, Lukas Rousek, and Matt Savoie, among others.
Do I see it happening? It’s a hard no. There is an almost 100% chance Benson plays the entire year with the Wenatchee Wild. But, injuries occur, as the Sabres have unfortunately experienced with Quinn. If Benson shows he’s NHL ready even at such a young age, a big if, then the job is his to lose.
So what’s the likeliest outcome, next to Benson returning to Wenatchee? I’m still stressing that fans don’t count out Brandon Biro. He’s not waivers exempt, which is the case with Lukas Rousek and Jiri Kulich, which could at least make Biro the 13th skater. But in a season when fans are expecting the Buffalo Sabres to make the playoffs, the best player, or players, will find their way onto the roster.
Then there is the Matt Savoie conundrum – Do the Sabres carve out a spot in the lineup early and give him a chance? Or do they give him a spot just to assign him to Rochester for a handful of games before he ultimately finds his way back to Wenatchee?
As you can see, the cards are beyond stacked against Buffalo’s top prospect in 2023. But if Benson comes in and plays lights out, then he will at least get a fair look.
Source: Buffalo Sabres prospect rankings 1-5: How high has Jiri Kulich climbed? by Matt Fairburn, The Athletic