Buffalo Sabres · #6 · Left wing

Zach Benson

Age 21 · Shoots left · 5′10″ · 178 lb · Born Chilliwack, British Columbia, CAN

Drafted 2023, #13 overall by Buffalo

Next game · Thu 8 Octvs Dallas · 7:00 PM ET2 P in the last 2 vs DALGame preview →

Games32026-27 Small sample

Goals0T-9th on BUF

Assists1T-5th on BUF

Points1T-9th on BUF

P / GP0.33T-274th in the NHL

Shots40.0% shooting

TOI / GP19:366th on BUF

2025-262025-26: 65 games, 13-30-43, 0.66 points per game Season detail →

Zach Benson has 1 point in 3 games of 2026-27, after 43 points in 65 games last season.

This season

2026-27 regular season · 3 games Small sample

2026-27 · The season

1 point in 3 games for the 14th-placed Buffalo

Where he ranks among NHL forwards with 2+ games, then his scoring rate through the season in ten-game blocks.

Percentile among NHL forwards

Ice time19:3688th

Hits563rd

Assists / 601.0250th

Shots / GP1.3341st

Blocked shots141st

Points / GP0.3340th

PP points036th

Takeaways027th

Goals / 600.0026th

Shooting %0.0%25th

Penalty differential−24th

Bars show the percentile against 383 forwards with 2+ games in 2026-27; the thin line marks the league median.

Points per game · rolling blocks

Dashed line: season average (0.3). Dark blocks sit at or above it.

Where he ranks

See all: Where he ranks →

Points1T-9th on BUF

Points per game0.33T-274th in NHL

Goals0T-232nd in NHL

Assists1T-5th on BUF

Shooting %0.0%Below avg (11.6%)

Ice time19:366th on BUF

Stats hub

Ice time and special teams

A top-six forward who runs the first power play

Even-strength, power-play and shorthanded minutes, and how much of Buffalo's power play went through him.

Ice time by strength

Even strength15:20

Power play3:15

Shorthanded1:02

Total19:36

24.3 shifts a game, averaging 48 seconds each.

Special teams

PP goals0T-1st on BUF

PP assists0T-1st on BUF

PP points0T-1st on BUF · T-142nd NHL

SH goals0

PP points / 600.00T-1st on BUF

Scoring detail

No goals yet: his one point is an assist

How the 0 goals and 1 assist were scored: when, at what strength, in what game state, and per 60 minutes.

Goal detail

Game-winning goals0T-3rd on BUF

Overtime goals0T-2nd on BUF

First goal of the game0

Empty-net goals0

Even-strength goals0

Power-play goals0

Assists

Primary1 · 100%

Secondary0 · 0%

Primary assists are the stronger playmaking signal.

Rates per 60

Points / 601.02

Goals / 600.00

Shots / 604.1

ES points / 601.301 ES points

PP points / 600.000 PP points

Shot locations

Most attempts from the crease

Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

By zone

Crease6 att · 0 G

Slot5 att · 0 G

Wing3 att · 0 G

Point0 att · 0 G

Neutral zone0 att · 0 G

14 attempts across the 3 games with a stored shot map. Small sample

Expected goals

See all: Expected goals →

Expected goals (ixG)1.348th

Goals0

Goals vs expected−1.3

Unblocked attempts11

xG per attempt.116

ixG per 601.30

2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every unblocked attempt he took, weighed by its chance of scoring from that spot, shot type and strength. Above zero is finishing better than the chances.

xG leaders

2026-27 · Skating and shot power

Distance per 60 in the 60th percentile of forwards: 9.84 miles

How fast he skated, how far, how hard he shot and where on the ice his shifts were spent, against the average NHL forward.

Tracking percentile among NHL forwards

Defensive-zone time30.1%99th

Offensive-zone time50.6%96th

Distance skated, mi9.676th

Distance / 60, mi9.8460th

Hardest shot, mph79.1458th

20+ mph bursts450th

90+ mph shots048th

22+ mph bursts041st

Top speed, mph21.0340th

Average shot, mph43.113th

Bars show the percentile against 383 forwards with 2+ games in 2026-27; the thin line marks the median. Higher is better on every row: less defensive-zone time ranks higher.

Top speed, mph21.03Forward average 21.23

Hardest shot, mph79.14Forward average 74.7

Distance skated9.6 mi3.35 mi in his longest game

Offensive-zone starts43.3%6.7% defensive · 50.0% neutral

Where his shifts were spent

53.1%All situations27.9%

51.4%Even strength28.7%

59.4%Power play25.2%

61.5%Shorthanded24.7%

OffensiveNeutralDefensive

Share of his time on ice in each zone.

Fastest moments

20.50@CBJ1 Oct · 2nd 06:07
20.47@CBJ1 Oct · 3rd 03:58
19.97vsCHI3 Oct · 2nd 01:20
19.94vsCHI3 Oct · 2nd 12:55
19.83@CBJ1 Oct · 3rd 10:28
19.71@CBJ1 Oct · 2nd 08:51
19.66vsCHI3 Oct · 2nd 06:24
19.62vsCHI3 Oct · 3rd 02:59

His fastest bursts in mph.

22+ mph0 · avg 0.3

20-22 mph4 · avg 4.6

18-20 mph35 · avg 20

Bursts per speed band, against the forward average.

Hardest shots

79.14vsCHI3 Oct · 2nd 07:42
60.96@CBJ1 Oct · 2nd 11:35
58.28@CBJ1 Oct · 2nd 11:37
50.43@CBJ1 Oct · 1st 05:13
46.64@CBJ1 Oct · 1st 15:32
23.42vsCHI3 Oct · 1st 12:19
16.64@CBJ1 Oct · 3rd 04:00
11.76vsCHI3 Oct · 2nd 14:14

Shot speed in mph, every attempt type.

100+ mph0 · avg 0.0

90-99 mph0 · avg 0.0

80-89 mph0 · avg 0.6

70-79 mph2 · avg 1.6

Shot attempts per speed band.

Distance, last 10 games

3.32vsMIN6 Oct · 20:41 TOI
3.35vsCHI3 Oct · 19:33 TOI
2.97@CBJ1 Oct · 18:34 TOI

Miles per game with his time on ice. Season average 3.22 a game. Small sample: these numbers move a lot in the first weeks of a season.

Physical play, discipline and faceoffs

Possession events, penalties drawn against penalties taken, and faceoffs.

Possession and physical

Takeaways0T-8th on BUF

Giveaways4

TK / GV ratio0.00

Hits5T-3rd on BUF

Blocked shots1T-8th on BUF

Discipline

Penalty minutes4

Minors2

Majors0

Penalties drawn0

Net penalties−2drawn minus taken

Faceoffs

Taken31.0 a game

Won1

Win %33.3%

Offensive zone0 of 2

A part-time centre on the draw.

Game log

Against Dallas, a point in one of two

Full game log →

DateOpponentResultGAPSOG+/-TOI

15 Apr 2026vs

DALOTL 3-4 SO1123+224:22

31 Dec 2025@

DALW 4-10001+116:11

2025-26 · The season

43 points in 65 games on a team that finished 4th

Where he ranks among NHL forwards with 40+ games, then his scoring rate through the season in ten-game blocks.

Percentile among NHL forwards

Assists / 601.7489th

Takeaways2579th

Penalty differential+572nd

Points / GP0.6670th

Shots / GP1.7861st

Ice time15:5356th

PP points549th

Goals / 600.7645th

Shooting %11.2%37th

Hits4026th

Blocked shots2221st

Bars show the percentile against 411 forwards with 40+ games in 2025-26; the thin line marks the league median.

Points per game · rolling blocks

Dashed line: season average (0.7). Dark blocks sit at or above it.

Where he ranks

See all: Where he ranks →

Points438th on BUF

Points per game0.66143rd in NHL

Goals13T-227th in NHL

Assists307th on BUF

Shooting %11.2%Above avg (11.1%)

Ice time15:5311th on BUF

Stats hub

Ice time and special teams

A depth forward who plays on the power play

Even-strength, power-play and shorthanded minutes, and how much of Buffalo's power play went through him.

Ice time by strength

Even strength13:13

Power play1:44

Shorthanded0:56

Total15:53

20.7 shifts a game, averaging 46 seconds each.

Special teams

PP goals1T-9th on BUF

PP assists4T-9th on BUF

PP points511th on BUF · T-262nd NHL

SH goals1

PP points / 602.6713th on BUF

Power-play involvement

Goals on the PP48Buffalo total

Involved in5goals or assists

Share10.4%of every BUF PPG

PP TOI share35.7%of BUF PP time

Team power-play goals from the season team report; involvement is his power-play points.

Scoring detail

Most of the goals come at even strength

How the 13 goals and 30 assists were scored: when, at what strength, in what game state, and per 60 minutes.

Goal detail

Game-winning goals4T-4th on BUF

Overtime goals0T-4th on BUF

First goal of the game0

Empty-net goals3

Even-strength goals11

Power-play goals1

Shorthanded goals1

Goals by period

1st1

2nd6

3rd6

Overtime0

Goals by game state

Tied6

Leading5

Trailing2

6 of 13 goals broke a tie; 2 came with Buffalo trailing.

Assists

Primary17 · 57%

Secondary13 · 43%

Primary assists are the stronger playmaking signal.

Rates per 60

Points / 602.50

Goals / 600.76

Shots / 606.7

ES points / 602.6538 ES points

PP points / 602.675 PP points

Shot locations

Most attempts from the slot, goals from the slot

Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

By zone

Crease47 att · 5 G

Slot91 att · 5 G

Wing61 att · 3 G

Point5 att · 0 G

Neutral zone3 att · 0 G

207 attempts across the 65 games with a stored shot map.

Expected goals

See all: Expected goals →

Expected goals (ixG)1.348th

Goals0

Goals vs expected−1.3

Unblocked attempts11

xG per attempt.116

ixG per 601.30

2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every unblocked attempt he took, weighed by its chance of scoring from that spot, shot type and strength. Above zero is finishing better than the chances.

xG leaders

2025-26 · Skating and shot power

Distance per 60 in the 79th percentile of forwards: 9.90 miles

How fast he skated, how far, how hard he shot and where on the ice his shifts were spent, against the average NHL forward.

Tracking percentile among NHL forwards

Distance / 60, mi9.9079th

Offensive-zone time43.1%61st

Defensive-zone time39.0%60th

22+ mph bursts244th

Distance skated, mi170.443rd

90+ mph shots038th

20+ mph bursts7437th

Top speed, mph22.0625th

Average shot, mph47.117th

Hardest shot, mph80.929th

Bars show the percentile against 370 forwards with 40+ games in 2025-26; the thin line marks the median. Higher is better on every row: less defensive-zone time ranks higher.

Top speed, mph22.06Forward average 22.51

Hardest shot, mph80.92Forward average 87.1

Distance skated170.4 mi3.98 mi in his longest game

Offensive-zone starts30.5%33.0% defensive · 36.5% neutral

Where his shifts were spent

43.1%All situations39.0%

OffensiveNeutralDefensive

Share of his time on ice in each zone.

Fastest moments

22+ mph2 · avg 5.7

20-22 mph72 · avg 102

18-20 mph482 · avg 448

Bursts per speed band, against the forward average.

Hardest shots

100+ mph0 · avg 0.0

90-99 mph0 · avg 1.0

80-89 mph2 · avg 15

70-79 mph27 · avg 42

Shot attempts per speed band.

Physical play, discipline and faceoffs

Draws more penalties than he takes

Possession events, penalties drawn against penalties taken, and faceoffs.

Possession and physical

Takeaways256th on BUF

Giveaways46

TK / GV ratio0.54

Hits40T-17th on BUF

Blocked shots22T-23rd on BUF

Discipline

Penalty minutes42

Minors16

Majors0

Penalties drawn22

Net penalties+5drawn minus taken

Faceoffs

Taken150.2 a game

Won7

Win %46.7%

Offensive zone3 of 8

A winger: fewer than one draw a game.

Consistency

A point in every other game (33 of 65)

How often he scores, how long the streaks run.

How often he scores

Games with a point3351% of games

Multi-point games812%

Goals in12 games18%

Pointless games3249%

Streaks

Longest point streak5 games6 Apr – 15 Apr

Longest goal streak3 games

Longest pointless run4 games

Final ten8 in 10point in 6

Game log

Against Dallas, a point in one of two

Full game log →

DateOpponentResultGAPSOG+/-TOI

15 Apr 2026vs

DALOTL 3-4 SO1123+224:22

31 Dec 2025@

DALW 4-10001+116:11

Splits · 2025-26

Better at home

Home and road

SplitGPPP/GP

Home32250.78

Road33180.55

By opponent

SplitGPPP/GP

vs Dallas221.00

vs Atlantic22170.77

vs Western Conf.24170.71

By month

SplitGPPP/GP

October881.00

November410.25

December1480.57

January1580.53

February221.00

March1590.60

April771.00

Contract

$7.5M a season through 2032-33

In 2025-26 he scored 5.7 points per $1M of cap hit, 307th of 370 forwards with 40 or more games and a current contract.

Cap hit$7.5M7.2% of the $104M ceiling

Term7 yearsYear 1 of 7

Expires2032-33UFA at 28

Cap value$52.5MCap hit × 7 years

Cap space, every team Best-value contracts

Cap hit is the average annual charge against the salary cap, not a yearly salary; cap value is cap hit times the years of the deal, not a reported total. As of 1 Oct 2026.