After playing the entirety of the 2023-24 season in the NHL, Zach Benson arrived earlier than expected. He was a highly touted prospect in the WHL but fell to the Buffalo Sabres at 13th overall in the 2023 NHL draft likely due to his small stature. 

After a modest point total as an 18-year-old NHL rookie, questions remain about how impactful Benson can be as an NHLer and how soon that will happen. We will dig into those questions and more.

With a May 12th birthdate, Benson played this entire 2023-24 season as an 18-year-old in the NHL. It might be tempting to look at his 30 points in 71 games as a disappointment and write him off as a low-upside scorer. That would be a mistake. Not only is it incredibly difficult for a young player to play in the NHL at such a young age, it’s even more diffi