Sabres Plans for Pending RFA Zach Benson Coming Into Focus

Buffalo Sabres Zach Benson celebrates a goal

The Buffalo Sabres made a terrific Cinderella run this season. Escaping from 14 straight years in the non-playoff wilderness, they broke out big-time with a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division and an exciting playoff run that ended in a Game 7 overtime thriller (albeit, a heartbreaking defeat).

Most would agree that one player who did as much for his future with this run as anyone is 21-year-old Zach Benson. The tenacious two-way winger had a breakthrough season—especially down the stretch and into the playoffs, even earning comparisons across the hockey world to super-pest Brad Marchand.

Even Marchand admitted that Benson reminds him of his young self.

“Yes, he does, for sure,” Marchand said. “I love his game. He’s not timid at all, goes to the dirty areas, he’s very competitive, skilled little player, and loves to stir it up. He’s showing right now he’s a gamer too! Very impressive with how young he is as well. He’s going to have a long career.”

So what are the Sabres' plans for re-signing him this summer? Short-term or long-term? It'll be costly either way, but Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that he feels Buffalo definitely is leaning to the latter.

They just went (long) term on (Josh) Doan... That says to me they're going term (on Benson), if they can. That's gonna be the attempt.

Benson's frequent linemate this season, Doan, was signed for seven years with a $6.95 million AAV. He had a huge breakout season himself at age 24 this year, with 25 goals and 52 points. It would likely cost right about that same threshold for Benson.

The scrappy winger finished the regular season with personal bests in his three-year NHL career so far, with 13 goals and 43 points, with a sensational plus/minus rating of +27. But the numbers were even better down the stretch for Benson, as he posted six goals and 16 points in 22 games through March/April and added another five goals and nine points in 13 playoff games, with a +6 rating. He's still leading the postseason in penalty minutes with 64.

He was drafted 13th overall in the 2023 Draft by the Sabres.

AFP Analytics projects Benson at two years, $4.2 million AAV, for a bridge deal, or at seven years, $ 6.975 million AAV, on a long-term extension, similar to Doan.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen will have a lot of juggling to do if he wants to get a long-term deal done with Benson, as re-signing pending UFA Alex Tuch is still a top priority as well, and that will be extremely costly.