Sabres select Zach Benson at No. 13 in 2023 NHL Draft: 'I'm super stoked'

General manager Kevyn Adams excited to add Benson, who formed a dynamic duo with Sabres prospect Matt Savoie in the WHL

NASHVILLE – There was no hiding Zach Benson’s excitement.

A smile from ear to ear adorned his face as he walked to the stage, pulled a Buffalo Sabres jersey over his head, and then put his arms around general manager Kevyn Adams and owner Terry Pegula on each side of him for a photo op.

He was still beaming as he spoke to media shortly after hearing his name called.

“Right now, I'm super stoked to be a Buffalo Sabre,” Benson said.

And the feeling is mutual.

“He's a special hockey player,” general manager Kevyn Adams said. “He's intelligent, he's extremely diligent on both sides of the puck. I mean, his offensive numbers were pretty elite but he also was very responsible defensively. You guys have heard me talk about projection. We felt like this player has the upside that often you don’t get at that spot at the draft. The way the list was falling, we were starting to get pretty excited this player might be there for us. So, we’re excited to welcome Zach.”

Benson, a winger with the Winnipeg Ice of the Western Hockey League, has been on the Sabres’ radar for two years. The scouting staff got good looks at him as they eyed Matt Savoie leading up to the 2022 NHL Draft and in preparation for this year. He also caught the eyes of Buffalo’s player development staff and the analytics department.

“They just generally walked away from the game saying he was the best player on the ice, no matter what or who the scout was or when they saw him,” Adams said. “So, I just think kids like that that have special qualities – and he has that kind of self-awareness and understanding of who he is as a player and what he has to do to have success. Ultimately, these are kids that you’re looking for projection. You’re not just looking for what they are today. And we think he’s going to project into a really good NHL hockey player.”

Benson is known for his relentless motor and tenacious play and has a work ethic and competitiveness to match. His 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame hasn’t deterred him from getting to the inside of the ice. He takes pride in “going to the dirty areas” and scoring from anywhere, noting that’s what it takes in the playoffs.

He and Savoie were a dynamic duo as linemates this past season, in which Benson led the team and finished third in the WHL with 98 points (36 goals, 62 assists) in 60 games. He added 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 15 playoff games as Winnipeg reached the WHL final.

“Now to be sharing the same NHL jersey (as Savoie), it's pretty amazing,” he said. “I'm looking forward to it.”

He’ll also be reunited with Peyton Krebs, who served as captain of the Ice when Benson was a 15-year-old rookie.

“He taught me so many things, whether it was saying it to me or just showing me on the ice or off the ice,” Benson said. “Super good leader. I think I said it before, he’s probably the best leader I ever played for.”

Under Adams, the Sabres have prioritized skill, competitiveness and intelligence when adding players to the organization. The scouts learn about players from their viewings and meetings throughout the season and try to gain more insight during interviews at the NHL Scouting Combine.

“He checked all those boxes,” Adams said. “You guys know over the last few years my style. I just think if you can add talented, passionate people that just believe that playing in the National Hockey League is a privilege and honor and will do whatever they can to achieve success, it’s a great place to start. Zach certainly has that.”

And he’ll fit the way the Sabres want to play.

“They want a speedy team that plays with a lot of skill, work ethic, competitiveness,” Benson said. “For me, I just want to keep competing, keep getting better. With the roster now, they’re looking pretty good. So I couldn’t be more excited.”