This is the fourth article in a series dedicated to looking at potential picks for the Red Wings with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Much like the previous three articles, this is meant to be a review of a player that I think would be a good fit in the Motor City. It’s not meant to be a full analysis but rather a focus on the positive traits this player would bring to Detroit. With that being said, it’s draft week so let’s get into this.
While the first three articles were all focused on players that will almost 100% be available for the Red Wings at nine, this is the first one where the player has a good chance of not falling that far. Zach Benson is a great center/wing prospect who is coming from the Winnipeg Ice in the WHL, the top regular season team in the entire CHL. He was the top regular season scorer on a team that featured two top-11 picks from last year’s in Matthew Savoie and Connor Geekie and the third-best scorer in the entire WHL. He’s a fantastic option for Detroit, a team that needs to find that elite scorer for their roster.
Phenomenal hands and vision
Benson’s offensive game is surely a sight to behold. The way he can just weave between defenders is beautiful to watch. One of his best highlights from the 2022-23 season came against Saskatoon, where he got a full head of steam from his own blue line, split three defenders and deked the goalie out of his pads to score a power play goal. One thing Detroit has lacked recently is having multiple players who you trust to beat a defender one-on-one. Thanks to his great hands and fantastic edgework, Benson is the type of player you can trust to do exactly that.
To go with that, Benson is one of the best pure passers in the entire 2023 Draft. His vision is next level as well as his offensive awareness. He sees plays developing well before it happens and sets up teammates phenomenally. His 62 assists were third among all draft-eligible players in the WHL this season behind just Connor Bedard and projected late-first-round pick Riley Heidt. It played a massive part in him having the second-most points by an under-18 player in the WHL in the past five seasons only trailing Bedard.
Paired with his fantastic playmaking ability and great hands is a wrist shot that he can get off very quickly. He has a quick release and has shown he can get it off even while off-balance. While he’s a bit small at 5’10” and 159 lbs, he is very strong on the puck and extremely aggressive so if he does lose it, he’ll be right on the defender to try to win it back. If you’re a defender who takes a puck from Zach Benson, you better get rid of it quickly so it can’t be taken right back. And while he’s one of the better offensive prospects in this draft, what makes him so highly regarded is that he’s more just that.
Two-way play
Zach Benson is one of the better defensive forwards in this entire draft. He plays great in the defensive zone with phenomenal stick work, getting in passing lanes and poking the puck off the opposing player’s stick with ease. He plays very physically for a guy his size and while you won’t see him blowing anyone up with a check, his positioning both for his body and his stick makes his hits effective. He wants to affect the play on both ends of the ice and is fantastic at turning defense to offense.
Earlier, a highlight of his was mentioned where he skated at full speed from his own blue line and dangled defenders to score a power play goal. What was left out was the physical battle he had with the Saskatoon forward to win the puck and while facing his own end of the ice, quickly turned and accelerated up the ice so that by the time he hit the red line, he had his full head of steam going. That’s Zach Benson represented in one highlight. Fantastic back-checking resulted in a goal the other way thanks to his creativity, this time with the stick rather than a pass.
What’s even more special about his defensive capabilities is he’s an extremely capable penalty killer. He’s the kind of guy you will expect to be on the top penalty kill line during his time in Detroit should the Red Wings land him at nine. He wants to be out there for it and he’s very good at it. The biggest skills that make a successful penalty-killing forward is getting your stick in lanes, being aggressive on the puck carrier in a responsible way and being willing to put your body on the line. Benson does all of that and would become a fan favorite for his two-way play in the Motor City.
Best hair, best option?
To go with all of this, I have failed to mention Zach Benson’s most important attribute as a player; a fantastic head of hockey hair. He rocks a beautiful mullet that any hockey fan should enjoy. It’s the kind of mullet that this Red Wings roster desperately needs and alone would make him the best option to be adorning the red and white come June 28th.
In all seriousness, Benson truly is one of the best options for the Red Wings to pick at nine. His two-way play is fantastic and honestly, in a draft class that isn’t this insanely deep, he’d be a definite top-five pick in the draft. With that being said, there’s a really good chance he doesn’t fall to Detroit at nine. The Philadelphia Flyers have been an extremely common landing spot for Benson in mocks at pick seven and he would be an excellent pick at that spot. But if he falls and is available at nine, he would be one of the absolute best, if not the best, option to put on the Winged Wheel on Wednesday.
