Zach Benson is a smooth playmaking winger that played for the Winnipeg Ice and led his team in scoring this season with 36 goals and 62 assists in 60 games. He suffered a significant body injury in March and returned just in time for playoffs. He looked like he was still injured in the playoffs due to his pace and compete level. He only put up 17 points in 15 games, which was a decline compared to last year where he scored 23 points in 15 games. What's really awesome about a player like Benson is he is able to go through adversity like battling an injury and still being productive. He is a natural born winner and has taken his team to the semi-finals last year and to the finals this year. Anytime you need an important goal, Benson somehow finds himself on the scoresheet. He is so smart and such a good playmaker, it is hard to see him slipping past the top 20. He is more skilled than most of the players that will get drafted just before him and the main reason I think he will fall is due to his size and his very average foot speed. Generally, small players need to be above average skaters to avoid slippage in the draft. That is why I think he will go in the 9-17 range of the draft.
Benson's skating has been a question of concern for some, but others tend to think he is just fine in that area. I am in the less concerned group when it comes to his skating. I view his skating as very average and he is smart enough to use it at the NHL level. There are plenty of smaller players in the NHL and Benson stands at 5'10". I think his skating form is pretty okay and I don't see any concerns there. Personally, I would like to see him improve his leg strength because his stride isn't very powerful. If he can work on the power in his legs, I see him becoming a very valuable player. His edge work is above average. This part of his skating is why he is so effective in the offensive zone. He weaponizes himself really well with strong mohawk turns that can face him any direction. That combined with great vision and soft hands are freightening for the opposition. On top of that, he plays a highly competitive game and can beat the best he faces. Whether thats the best defenders of another team or battling against a bigger foe. An NHL team drafting him is getting a small and highly competitive playmaking winger that scores at the right times.
Below is his Elite Prospects page
Elite Prospect's page for Zach Benson2/4 Average
2/4 Average
3/4 Above Average
4/4 Elite
3/4 Above Average
Below are some sources to look at for visual demonstration;