1) Two of Buffalo’s Young Players Lead by Example
We have seen two years now of Zach Benson and have a pretty good handle on the player he is. Taz is all heart and hustle with good skill to boot. His effort is always strong but the goals and points have not been there yet. Year three should provide more opportunity for offensive success.
The Buffalo Sabres just acquired another heart and hustle player in Josh Doan in the Peterka deal with Utah. Doan has more size than Benson though and brings a heavy forecheck with him. His potential as a solid two-way player looks promising. He has many of the same traits as Benny, including high effort level.
I wanted to take a look at these two younger players and their potential impact on the team. Both this season and beyond. I think the Buffalo brass has two solid players on their hands here. Future leaders for this team who set an example on the ice. While neither has broken out offensively yet, I feel both will soon. At a reasonable rate at least. Benson and Doan play the game right and will be eventually be rewarded for it. With personal success and hopefully team success as well. So let us take a quick look at each of these hard working players. They are a good model to follow not only for Buffalo management but for their current teammates to emulate.
Zach Benson
The 13th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft surprisingly slipped out of the top ten and landed in Buffalo’s lap. While many fans liked the skill and talent level of Zach, many more lamented drafting another speedy undersized player. But the biggest surprise was yet to come, as Benson made the team at age 18. Watching him play, most can see what the Sabres saw in him. A hard working player who gives his all every shift. While I agree some development time would have been nice, Benson now has 2 full years under his belt. He looks to be a top six player this year, based more on roster necessity than offensive success. When evaluating Taz though, one has to look beyond the points.
Benny has that “IT” factor when it comes to playing hockey. Puck possession is a strong point as is his relentless motor. He gets in the dirty areas and isn’t afraid to battle for that puck. As one of the smaller players on the team, he will still dive head first into a scrum. While Benson learns a lot from his veteran teammates, many of them should learn a thing or two from him. He shows high energy on the forecheck and is a real sparkplug out there for the Sabres. Part of me thinks Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams didn’t know the bonuses that Benson brought when he drafted him. All he saw was a skilled player that was expected to go earlier. We sure will take him though and more like him, please.
The offense will come for Zach as he gains more experience. He is still just 20 years old. He will probably see more top six time this year, especially if a JJ Peterka replacement is not found. He has 21 goals and 37 assists through his first two seasons. But I expect his single season totals to look like that soon. Meanwhile, the intangibles Benson brings to the game are enormous, unlike his stature. His heart has him playing a bigger man’s game. His determination will continue to drive the player he is and advance him into a true leader on this team.
***I interrupt this segment for a moment to point out some randomness in Benson’s cover photo above. Shout out to the Sabres fan sitting along the glass in Calgary. He is wearing a Buffalo style Grand Poohbah hat from the Flintstones. Looking good, old timer! In case you missed him…***
***Back to the article***
Josh Doan
It has been said of new Buffalo forward Josh Doan that he has an elite mindset. In that, he knows what he wants to achieve success and knows how to do it. That is a great starting point. Like his famous and successful NHL father Shane, Josh brings an energetic work ethic to the rink. He is very consistent on the forecheck, relentless even at times. Like Benson, he goes into the dirty areas and often comes up with the puck. He is physical in that regard, more so in determined grinding rather than big hits. But he does know how to take the body too.
Buffalo fans haven’t seen much of his play firsthand but they will soon appreciate his game. Doan always keeps his feet moving and often wins races to the puck. He plays confident and that leads him to making the right play most of the time. Josh also has powerful shot and has been a consistent scoring threat on every level of hockey. He had an impressive 11 game stint with Arizona in 2023-24, scoring 5 goals and 9 points. Last season with Utah, he scored 19 points in 51 games (7 goals) in his official rookie season. He scored 26 goals the year before with the Tucson Roadrunners and averaged nearly a point per game in 28 games last season. There is clearly room for offensive growth with this young player, middle six potential at least. He will bring some serious bite to the Sabres’ lineup this season. The goals and points should follow soon after.
It’s rare that young players like Benson and Doan show these grizzled veteran traits at their age. The heart and hustle some players rarely demonstrate in their careers. These two are leaders in the making in my opinion. A much needed addition in the Sabres’ lineup. In three or four years, they could literally be the faces of the forward group in Buffalo. Let us hope team success keeps them here.
2) You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?
Back by POPULAR DEMAND. Ok, just one person mentioned it to be honest, Belie-von Levi. Thank you for your interest in this matter! Your Buffalo Sabres Grand Poohbah hat is either in the mail or has been donated to charity. Meanwhile, here are a few of my new “Grinds my Gears.” You and the other DBTB knuckleheads can add your own in the comments.
A) Why Didn’t the Sabres Make That Deal?
How many times do we see a trade go down and say this? The Wild trade Joe Blow, a solid third line physical player who chips in 15 goals a year to Montreal for a third round pick. Our jaws drop and we say WHAT???? Like literally, WHAT THE HELL? That is exactly the type of player the Sabres need, why didn’t Kevyn Adams go get him? And for only a third? A THIRD??? That is NOTHING! WTF Adams, you NITWIT!
Sound familiar at all?
Many times that initial reaction is warranted. Then often you remember that maybe that player had trade protection, leaving Buffalo in the cold. As if it wasn’t already. Either way, many NHL deals often go down like this and we just shake our heads at the bargain we didn’t get. It seems to be a common theme too often with the Sabres.
B) One New Comment, Should I Bother?
Ok, I think we have all experienced this one. As much as we are all DBTB junkies and enjoy our time here, this happens too much. You log on, see 25 new comments in the main thread. You click, scroll and read. Then you see 12 new comments in the 2nd most recent thread. Click, scroll and read again. Now back on the main page, all the other threads read zero new comments except one. That thread has 289 old comments. Is it worth scrolling through it all to find some juicy nugget of info? Or continued witty banter? Maybe it’s important Sabres news? So you decide to go for it! Click, scroll…scroll…scroll for several minutes until you finally see that new post…
Son of a b*tch! And that’s what really grinds my gears.