BUFFALO, N.Y. — Zach Benson defied the odds last season making the Buffalo Sabres' NHL roster as an 18-year-old rookie.
“You just got to play a mature game," Benson said. "It’s the NHL, you got to make smart plays, but at the same time you got to play your game. You got to make plays. You got to play to your strengths.”
Benson tallied 30 points — 11 goals and 19 assists — in his rookie year in Buffalo and said that in his second NHL season, the bar has been set even higher.
“I handle myself with a high standard and I have high expectations for myself," Benson said. "I just want to come in really push get to my game right away and overall compete.”
The one person who did not get to watch the 18-year-old rookie from the Sabres' bench last season is head coach Lindy Ruff.
“For me, he seems like a special player," Ruff said. "His motor is really good, his hockey IQ is really good. He’s got a lot of puck savvy. So he’s got everything. I see why they kept him.”
“I don’t even know if I’ve said much to him because he’s pretty well done what you draw up on the board or his defending or his play away from the puck," Ruff added. "His hounding or hunting the puck or getting in the zone is as good as anybody so he’s one of those kids that, he gets the game. I think he knows there’s a certain way to play it for him to be effective and he’s really good at it.”
Benson is now looking to get off on the right foot on Saturday, when the Sabres host the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m.
Ruff announced after the team's scrimmage today that the "majority" of the main group will play with the exception of defenseman Rasmus Dahlin who sustained an injury at practice on Wednesday morning. The Sabres' head coach also added that Dahlin did skate Friday but still won't be a part of the preseason games for a couple of days.