Zach Benson’s comments are indicative of someone who believes in the direction of the organization. The undersized winger doesn’t believe the Sabres, who had a tough offseason, need to take a major step back in 2026-27.
His comments to the “Morning Cuppa Hockey” podcast should be music to the ears of Sabres fans who likely have no appetite for a retreat after the team finally ended a 15-year playoff drought.
“We have a lot of young talent that is ready to kind of explode,” Benson told podcasters Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen.
His answer was part of a longer one. Zach Benson’s comments referenced the loss of winger Alex Tuch, what that will mean for Buffalo and how they’ll replace him.
Is Zach Benson Right?
The Sabres hadn’t been very good for a while. That helped accumulate premium draft picks, resulting in defensemen Rasmus Dahlin (No. 1 overall in 2018) and Owen Power (No. 1 in 2021). However, Buffalo’s recent slate of draft picks looks promising even when they’ve drafted outside of the premium spots.
Scott Wheeler, NHL Draft analyst with The Athletic, ranked the Sabres prospect system at number 13 last Spring. That ranking preceded the additions of two first-round draft picks. The Sabres drafted right-handed defenseman Daxon Rudolph at the fourth overall pick. Rudolph is committed to the University of Denver next season, a machine at churning out pro-ready defensemen. Meanwhile, the Sabres drafted Ilia Morozov, one of the youngest players in NCAA history, with the 20th overall selection.
Those are good additions, and it probably won’t take as long as some think for those two players to contribute. Yet, it was Buffalo’s drafting under Kevyn Adams that is worth looking at longer. This is, at least in part, what will prove Zach Benson’s comments ultimately correct.
A Trio of Young Forwards Could Validate Zach Benson’s Comments
The Sabres have spent the last few months locking up a new core. Wingers Josh Doan and Peyton Krebs both signed long-term contracts. Zach Benson signed a seven-year contract with an annual value of $7.5 million each season. Jack Quinn, another promising winger, is entering a contract season. A new deal for Quinn could land closer to $7 million per season, according to AFP Analytics.
All of the aforementioned players give Buffalo a chance to keep their floor relatively high. In other words, in the absence of Tuch and Bowen Byram, Buffalo shouldn’t revert to bottom-feeder status. Yet their ceiling could be determined by three players — Noah Östlund, Konsta Helenius and Jiri Kulich. These players, in part, are who Zach Benson’s comments are about.
Two of these forwards were drafted in 2022. Östlund, a smallish forward who can play center and winger, scored 27 points in 60 games in his rookie season. Buffalo selected him 16th overall in 2022. He won his minutes both in actual and expected goals, likely earning him a bigger role. Meanwhile, Jiri Kulich has proven he can play in the NHL. He was promising as a 20-year-old in 2024-25, but lost all but 12 games last season to a blood clot issue. The Sabres found Kulich at 28th overall.
The third forward might have the biggest upside of them all in forward Konsta Helenius. The Finnish standout can play center and winger and showed flashes in a nine-game sample last season. He finished with four points in nine NHL games. Additionally, Helenius dominated the AHL as a 19-year-old, finishing with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) in 63 games for AHL Rochester.
This next wave will determine if Zach Benson’s comments prove true.
The Sabres Expectations
Betting markets aren’t high on Buffalo. FanDuel has the Sabres with the eighth-best odds to make the Eastern Conference playoffs.
There are certainly questions. Buffalo’s three-goalie tandem is still the minority in the NHL. More teams might join them, but that remains a concern. Concurrently, the Sabres will bank on growth from Owen Power, plus additions Owen Zellweger and Louis Crevier to ameliorate Bowen Byram’s departure. Perhaps the area of least concern is the committee Buffalo has assembled to replace Tuch’s production, defensive impacts and forechecking ability.
This group could potentially prove Zach Benson’s comments accurate. First, they must seize the opportunity.
Buffalo Sabres Rising Star Zach Benson is a Believer