Last we heard from Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson, he was negotiating with his parents to buy the mini-doughnut stand from his family's traveling carnival in Western Canada.
His next purchase was a little more lucrative: A new car.
Benson delivered a blunt assessment of that decision during an appearance Wednesday on Morning Cuppa Hockey with Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen.
"No Lambos, no Ferraris. I actually bought a Porsche Cayenne, so I got a new whip. I don't know. It's a waste of money. I already regret it," Benson said with a laugh.
The 21-year-old British Columbia native signed a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension ($7.5 million AAV) with the Sabres in late June. He's now linked to the club through the 2032-33 season.
It came on the heels of a breakthrough campaign for Benson, who recorded a career-high 43 points (13 goals and 30 assists) in 65 appearances. He was also Buffalo's most consistently effective forward during the team's run to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In addition, the 5-foot-10 hardworking winger has started to gain a reputation as one of the league's best rats, a style of play that generated praise from Florida Panthers counterpart Brad Marchand.
Benson will now be expected to develop into an all-around game-changing force for the Sabres, who selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Zach Benson destined to play first-line minutes for the Sabres in 2026-27
Benson moved all over Buffalo's lineup card last season. He spent some time on the top line alongside Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who's since departed for the Washington Capitals, but also skated on the fourth line when head coach Lindy Ruff wanted Peyton Krebs on the first trio.
Now, with Tuch out of the picture and the Sabres not making any headline additions this summer, the rising star should be ticketed for a more regular spot in a critical spot.
Benson has already proven himself as a productive playmaker, including several highlight-reel assists during his third NHL campaign. Now the question is whether he's capable of taking another step (or two) forward as a goal scorer.
His track record suggests it's possible. The Canadian forward scored 71 goals across three years with the WHL's Winnipeg Ice as a prospect, including 36 tallies across 60 contests in 2022-23.
He doesn't possess an overly electric shot, at least from long range, but there's reason to believe somebody who spends most of his time in high-danger areas of the ice should ultimately have a higher shooting percentage than his current 10.2% career mark.
As Benson becomes more comfortable potting those second- and third-chance opportunities around the crease, his goal total should rise substantially.
The underlying numbers back up that prediction. Although the energetic winger has scored a modest 34 goals through three years in Buffalo, Natural Stat Trick estimates he's generated 53.2 individual expected goals (ixG), suggesting there's better days ahead in the goal-scoring category.
Ultimately, Benson's well-rounded skill set means he doesn't have to become a 40-goal scorer to solidify himself as a key foundational pillar for the Sabres. He's going to create a lot of chances for his teammates and play a strong two-way game for a long, long time in Western New York.
But, if he does start hitting the net more often, that's when he'll join the NHL's elite wingers.
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