Zach Benson was drafted 13th overall in the last draft, but he appears to have impressed the Buffalo Sabers enough to earn a shot in the National Hockey League (NHL).
The team made a wave of cuts Wednesday afternoon, trading promising Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen to the Rochester Americans. 25-year-old forward Brett Murray will also find himself in the American League if he is not claimed on waivers.
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That leaves 15 forwards in Sabers training camp, not counting Matthew Savoie, the ninth overall pick in 2022, who is injured. Five players have to be cut from Buffalo, which still had 10 defensemen in its ranks on Tuesday.
General manager Kevyn Adams still has some heartbreaking decisions to make, but Benson appears to have proven his point. In training before the evening game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he completed the first line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.
Benson scored the winning goal against the same opponent on Saturday. Head coach Don Granato has only had good comments so far.
In his third season in the Western Junior League (WHL), the Brit from British Columbia collected 98 points in 60 games. Many expected to see him back in the minors with the Wenatchee Wild, but Benson is causing confusion.