Draft Prospect Profile: Zach Benson

A high-skill forward with outstanding hockey sense, creative panache and the determination to compete with (and win battles) against much bigger players, there is much to like about winger Zach Benson's upside. It's not hard to justify his candidacy for being a top-10, even top six or seven, pick in the 2023 Draft. However, some projections have him on the board until the mid-teens.

Why? The combination of being small (5-foot-9 3/4), physically immature (169 pounds) and an average straight-line skater tends to knock down a player's pre-Draft rankings. Additionally, many NHL organizations have a positional bias in their internal Draft rankings, giving an edge to centers (or wingers with potential to play center) over wingers. There are, however, exceptions, when a winger's offensive upside is too high to bypass.

Benson projects as a winger in the NHL, although he started out at center. However, he plays the type of complete game and possesses the type of hockey sense that could make him one of the exceptions. There are similarities of skill and will between Benson and a teenaged Claude Giroux (who went 22nd overall to the Flyers in the 2006 Entry Draft).

At the Western Hockey League level, Benson was also an outstanding defensive forward in addition to being a dominant offensive player. Due to his lack of size, Benson will have to make adjustments to be the same level of 200-foot player in the pro game -- which would be less difficult to navigate as a winger than it would in the middle.

"Benson will figure [the adjustments] out. He's too smart not to. He reads and reacts as well as anyone. I'd worry if he didn't have the hockey sense. It just might take a little time. He'll need to add muscle. He'll need to figure out what will and won't work for him in the NHL. But every player goes through that. I don't know if it will happen right away. But I think he's one of those players who will put it all together in the NHL when he's, say, 22 or 23. There's a lot to like," said an NHL scout.

The same scout said that, strictly due to the need to become physically stronger, Benson may need two additional seasons before advancing to the pros. At the top level, he'll have to adapt his 200-foot game to the pace of play.

With the puck on his stick, Benson is often dazzling. He lacks blazing speed but he's very quick, and his edgework on his skates makes him elusive. Additionally, Benson has no qualms about getting to the "greasy" areas below and between the dots in the offensive zone. In terms of his 200-foot game, Benson has a quick stick and the anticipation to force turnovers or claim loose pucks.

Said another NHL scout, as quoted by Recrutes, "I know (Benson's) not big but he's fearless and he makes plays. He just plays the right way, I love it. He's got everything. All 5-foot-9 of him."

At the major junior level, Benson gets an elite volume of puck touches and is very good at generating -- or extending -- puck possession for his team. In the NHL, players don't get nearly as much time with the puck as they do in junior hockey. Even so, Benson has the potential to become an NHL player who puts up strong underlying stats.

"He's got a bit of swagger about him, and he puts a mistake behind him right away. So that's another positive thing for him," the first scout said.

A native of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Benson will ply his trade next season in Washington State barring an unexpected immediate NHL jump. His junior team, the Winnipeg Ice, are relocating to Wenatchee, Wash., for the 2023-24 campaign.

BASIC INFORMATION

Position: RW/LW
Height:5-foot-9 3/4
Weight: 169 pounds
Shoots: Left
2022-23 Team:Winnipeg ICE (WHL)
2022-23 Stats: 60 GP, 36 G, 62 A, 98 PTS, 49 PIM, +68, 62% CF, 20:01 TOI

RANKINGS:Central Scouting #6 North American skater, Bob McKenzie #8, Craig Button #14, The Hockey News #8, Recrutes #11, McKeen's #6, Chris Peters #8, Daily Faceoff #5

PROS:
1) Excellent ice vision and hockey sense on both sides of the puck.
2) High-level playmaking upside.
3) Despite his slight size, he is unafraid to play in high-traffic areas.
4) Elusive and quick, high-level edgework on his skates.
5) High "compete" and strong character.

CONCERNS:
1) Significantly lacks size and strength.
2) Average straight-line speed.
3) He's an excellent two-way junior player but faces NHL-level adjustments.
4) At NHL pace, he'll have to make comparable plays with less time and space.
5) His fearlessness could leave him vulnerable to predatory hits.