Tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Buffalo Sabres will have Zach Benson on the roster as he will likely not play for Team Canada.
As a contingent of players from the Buffalo Sabres prospects pool gears up to play in the 2024 IIHF World Championships, one youngster likely won’t be joining them. Zach Benson, whose defense has been outstanding this season, looks like he will continue his rookie season uninterrupted with the Sabres, and it was the right move for general manager Kevyn Adams to make.
So far in 2023-24, Benson has scored just eight points, three goals, and a minus-1 rating, but don’t let those numbers fool you. The 18-year-old has been a nightmare at times for opponents when the Sabres don’t have the puck. He’s constantly creating turnovers and baiting teams into making poor decisions, something the Blue and Gold were missing last season.
Head coach Don Granato also chimed in with his thoughts regarding Benson, which Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News shared in his latest column:
"“It’s pretty easy. He helps us. He’s a positive contributor on this team. We all know how important that is to have contributions from everywhere possible, especially as you navigate a long season and fight through injuries and roster challenges. And he’s been very consistent from day one of training camp, which is incredible for any player, and you factor in his age, it’s even more incredible.”"
Source: Sabres notes: Zach Benson will be needed in Buffalo’s top six with Jeff Skinner on IR
Buffalo Sabres correct to forgo sending Zach Benson to Hockey Canada
Despite contributing mainly on defense for the first 20 games of his NHL career, Benson has also positioned himself well numerous times in the offensive zone, to either attempt or to log shots on goal. He’s also done well finding the right linemate when passing the puck this season, so with the progress he’s made offensively and defensively, it made no sense to disrupt that rhythm so he could play in the World Juniors.
Benson found himself on the first line for Wednesday night’s loss against the Colorado Avalanche, and he is once again likely to take reps on the first alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch tonight. He played a fine game on Wednesday despite the Buffalo Sabres losing big, so unless he suffers a complete meltdown between now and when the World Junior rosters are finalized – which is sooner than later – expect Benson to remain with the Blue and Gold.
Overall, the Sabres made the right decision as, even if the team has regressed since last December, Benson has been a notable bright spot. He’s earned the right to bypass the 2024 IIHF World Juniors and to keep contributing to the Blue and Gold as they try to turn their season around.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)