Zach Benson is not the sixth-best U23 player in the Buffalo Sabres organization. Period.
Yet, that's where Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked Benson, who scored nine points (five goals and four assists) in 13 playoff games last season, in his latest installment of NHL pipeline rankings, which include any player 22 or younger heading into the 2026-27 season.
"Benson's size and lack of explosive speed are the knocks on him, though, and despite his production this season, I don't view him as an elite brain or scoring type," Pronman wrote. "He projects as a quality middle-six winger who works very hard and will be a coach and fan favorite."
If you extrapolate the 2023 first-round pick's goal-scoring production from the postseason over a full 84-game campaign, it'd equate to 32 goals. The underlying numbers also suggest he should light the lamp more frequently moving forward. His 34 career tallies are well below the 51.9 expected goals he's generated over the past three years, according to MoneyPuck.
Quite simply, the hardworking pest has the potential to become one of the league's most effective two-way wingers, and it could happen in the near future.
Meanwhile, prized Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius was also rated too low in The Athletic rankings, coming in at No. 5 behind Daxon Rudolph, Jiri Kulich, Radim Mrtka and Noah Ostlund.
"He has all the offensive tools to score at the highest levels; the debate will be whether his game will translate," Pronman wrote. "Helenius isn't the biggest center, plays on the outside too much and can give inconsistent efforts. When he's dialed in, he can tilt the ice, though."
The 20-year-old Finland native recorded 63 points (21 goals and 42 assists) in 63 appearances for the AHL's Rochester Americans last season. He then emerged as one of Buffalo's most dangerous forwards after joining the lineup during a second-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, scoring two goals in four contests.
It's quite possible the Sabres don't have a true No. 1 NHL center currently in the organization but, if they do, it's Helenius.
How the top of the Buffalo Sabres' U23 pipeline rankings should look
Pronman's choices for the Sabres' top six young players are correct — Buffalo's overall ranking of the No. 14 system in the NHL feels a tad low — it just feels like they're in the wrong order.
Kulich was having trouble turning his obvious offensive talent into consistent production at hockey's top level before suffering a blood clot that caused him to miss most of last season.
Mrtka failed to take a significant step forward during his first post-draft year, tallying just one goal in 48 appearances (including the playoffs) at the WHL level. The 6-foot-6 defenseman is going to need a longer development runway.
Ostlund is a high-IQ contributor who makes the Sabres better when he's on the ice, but his lack of elite offensive upside caps his all-around potential. There are also injury concerns.
So, all things considered, here's how those six should be ranked:
Rank | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Zach Benson |
2 | Daxon Rudolph |
3 | Konsta Helenius |
4 | Jiri Kulich |
5 | Radim Mrtka |
6 | Noah Ostlund |
Rudolph, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, has all the tools to eventually become Rasmus Dahlin's long-term partner on the top pair. He's a mobile right-shot blueliner who compiled 78 points (28 goals and 50 assists) with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders last season.
The 18-year-old Canadian is aiming to make a quick jump to the NHL after one season at the University of Denver, adding to Buffalo's embarrassment of riches on the blue line.
Ultimately, regardless of how the players are ranked, it's clear the Sabres are finally traveling down a promising path after ending a 14-year playoff drought, the longest such streak in league history.
They have ample talent, both at the NHL level and within their prospect pool, and their salary-cap outlook becomes a lot more navigable starting next summer. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen will have room to hunt down the missing pieces of the franchise's roster puzzle.
Buffalo should be a playoff regular in the years ahead, but now the question is whether it will emerge as a true Stanley Cup threat during its current contention window.
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