1st-round pick Benson 'checked all boxes' for Sabres

NASHVILLE -Kevyn Adams received a text from Peyton Krebs shortly after the Buffalo Sabres selected Zach Benson with the 13th-overall pick of the NHL Draft inside Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday.

Krebs was already a first-round pick and a veteran player for the WHL's Winnipeg ICE when Benson joined the team as a 15-year-old in 2021. The pair lived with the same billet family.

"[Krebs] said he's going to fit into our locker room someday," Adams said.

Krebs' endorsement was further confirmation of what the Sabres front office had grown to believe after tracking Benson closely for two full seasons. They saw an offensively talented, highly competitive, intelligent player with the appetite to maximize his potential.

"This player has the upside that often you don't get at that spot at the draft," Adams said. "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, and I guess we like Winnipeg kids."

The Sabres used their first selection last summer on Matt Savoie, another Winnipeg kid. The year of legwork scouting Savoie also served as a thorough introduction to Benson, who amassed 63 points in 58 games during his 16-year-old season.

With Savoie in Buffalo's system, the Sabres had even more eyes on Benson this season. In addition to their amateur scouting staff, their development coaches got frequent viewings of Benson as he led Winnipeg with 98 points (36+62), often playing with Savoie as his centerman.

The internal opinions on Benson - including the scouts, development staff, and analytics department - were unanimously positive.

"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.

They also saw Benson's passion for hockey, which can be traced to his upbringing in British Columbia. His family owns West Coast Amusements, a fourth-generation traveling amusement park company. He spent his childhood summers traveling Western Canada with his parents and siblings in an RV, his parents scouring each community for hockey camps or other opportunities for their son to pursue his dream. After camp, he typically worked the mini donut stand.

Benson attributes his work ethic to his exposure to the family business. Adams described him as a diligent defensive player who is fearless in spite of his 5-foot-10 frame.

"I compete every shift and I don't really take a shift off," Benson said. "With my skill set, I think that goes a long way."

He balances that dedication with an affable, fun-loving personality. His draft day wardrobe consisted of a powder blue suit and a cowboy hat placed atop of his mullet. His personality shined during his interview with the Sabres at the Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this month.

"There's just certain kids that give you this feel that they're a hockey player," Adams said. "They're just winners and they have such a desire to play the game and compete. He checked all those boxes.

"… 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."

He'll have a chance to realize that potential in a Buffalo Sabres uniform, perhaps alongside two players who have already been a large part of his journey.

"I'm super stoked to be a Buffalo Sabre," he said.

Here are more notes from Day 1 of the draft.

1. Benson's father recalled phone calls from his son during the 2020-21 season detailing the way Krebs prepared and carried himself.

"I said, 'Well, you copy everything he does an emulate it in your life and good things will happen,'" Darcy Benson said.

Zach listened. He credits Krebs' influence during their short time together with setting him up for success in the WHL.

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

2.Adams said he made an effort to trade up from the 13th pick, but no deals materialized.

"It's very rare to be able to do that," he said. "It's a challenge. But the way it started unfolding and our list was getting set, the fact that Zach was there was pretty special for us just based on how we rated him."

3. The Sabres also tried to swing a deal to trade back into the first round after selecting Benson, again to no avail. In fact, the first round featured zero trades across the NHL.

"We worked hard," Adams said. "I'd say from 21 back to the end, we basically made an offer on every one of those picks I would say to get back into the first round. It didn't work. But they were strong offers."

4.The Sabres own the following seven picks on Day 2 of the draft, which begins at 11 a.m. on NHL Network and ESPN+:

Round 2 - 39th overall (from PHI)
Round 2 - 45th overall
Round 3 - 86th overall (from LAK)
Round 4 - 109th overall
Round 5 - 141st overall
Round 6 - 173rd overall
Round 7 - 205th overall