The Buffalo Sabres announced Thursday that winger Zach Benson traded his No. 9 jersey to center Josh Norris, who previously wore the number across his final five years with the Ottawa Senators. Benson chose No. 6 to stitch on his sweater starting in 2025-26.
It's a significant shift for Benson, who donned the No. 9 during his time with the WHL's Winnipeg Ice as well as while representing Team Canada at the junior international level.
"It feels like home. Thanks, Benny," Norris said in the team's announcement video. "Nine is just a number that I liked and worn for a lot of my career. I made him an offer and he was nice enough to accept it."
Coincidentally, Benson and Norris are two of the Sabres' most important players heading into a turning-point season where the franchise will try to break a 14-year playoff drought.
Is Benson ready for the first line?
Buffalo's decision to trade JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth this summer left a massive void as the top-line left winger. General manager Kevyn Adams didn't make a subsequent deal to fill the spot, so the answer will have to come from within the organization.
Benson is one of the top candidates along with Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn. Jiri Kulich is another option if Tage Thompson slides back to center.
The 2023 first-round pick hasn't produced a ton of offense over his first two NHL seasons. He's tallied a modest 58 points (21 goals and 37 assists) in 146 career games, although it's important to note he was often playing lower in the Sabres lineup.
His underlying metrics suggest there's more offensive prowess than the baseline numbers suggest, too. He only lit the lamp 10 times last season, but he produced 18.3 individual expected goals (ixG), according to Natural Stat Trick.
While some of that is Benson learning to become a better finisher, a touch of bad luck also played a role in his low goal total.
If the 20-year-old Canadian is elevated onto a first line with Thompson and Norris, his offensive numbers could skyrocket, and he'd also bring a much-needed defensive element to that trio.
Can Norris stay healthy in Buffalo?
Norris looked like a budding superstar when he netted 35 goals in 66 games for the Sens during the 2021-22 season. That's a 43-goal pace over a full 82-game schedule.
Alas, the 26-year-old Michigan native has missed 132 contests over the last three seasons combined because of injuries, including serious shoulder trouble in 2022-23.
Norris made three appearances for the Sabres after last season's blockbuster trade, which was also centered around Dylan Cozens going to Ottawa, before suffering a setback with an oblique injury he dealt with as a member of the Senators.
All indications are he'll show up to training camp healthy, however, and Buffalo is desperate for him to play 70-plus games this season.
Norris has shown he can be a difference-maker when healthy, and the Sabres are lacking high-impact forwards, so his health is truly one of the most critical factors to the campaign.
Sabres announce more new jersey numbers
Buffalo also provided an update on the numbers other new members of the roster will wear when the team opens the regular season Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers.
Here's the complete list:
Michael Kesselring (No. 8)
Justin Danforth (No. 15)
Conor Timmins (No. 21)
Zac Jones (No. 28)
Alex Lyon (No. 34)
Noah Ostlund (No. 86)
Josh Doan (No. 91)
Ostlund is the only player on the list who previously played for the Sabres. The forward prospect wore No. 36 during an eight-game stint in Buffalo last season.