Zach Benson
Age 21 · Shoots left · 5′10″ · 178 lb · Born Chilliwack, British Columbia, CAN
Drafted 2023, #13 overall by Buffalo
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 sample1 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.
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 →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.
Special teams
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.
Most attempts from the crease
Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.
By zone
14 attempts across the 3 games with a stored shot map. Small sample
Expected goals
See all: Expected goals →2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
2025-26 · 65 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG.
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 leadersDistance 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.
Where his shifts were spent
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
- 19.97vs
CHI3 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.
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.
Shot attempts per speed band.
Distance, last 10 games
- 3.32vs
MIN6 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
Against Dallas, a point in one of two
DALOTL 3-4 SO1123+224:22DALW 4-10001+116:11MINW 3-2 OT0002+120:41CHIW 4-30001+119:33CBJW 6-30111−118:3443 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.
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 →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.
Special teams
Power-play involvement
Team power-play goals from the season team report; involvement is his power-play points.
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.
Goals by period
Goals by game state
6 of 13 goals broke a tie; 2 came with Buffalo trailing.
Most attempts from the slot, goals from the slot
Every attempt, attacking right, from the games with a stored shot map.
By zone
207 attempts across the 65 games with a stored shot map.
Expected goals
See all: Expected goals →2026-27 · 3 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.
2025-26 · 65 games. Rank among all skaters by ixG.
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 leadersDistance 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.
Where his shifts were spent
Share of his time on ice in each zone.
Fastest moments
Bursts per speed band, against the forward average.
Hardest shots
Shot attempts per speed band.
Draws more penalties than he takes
Possession events, penalties drawn against penalties taken, and faceoffs.
Possession and physical
A point in every other game (33 of 65)
How often he scores, how long the streaks run.
Streaks
Against Dallas, a point in one of two
DALOTL 3-4 SO1123+224:22DALW 4-10001+116:11DALOTL 3-4 SO1123+224:22CHIW 5-10114+214:22CBJW 5-00111+215:39
NYRW 5-32023+112:59
TBLW 4-20113+117:44
WSHL 2-60003−215:20
OTTL 1-40001−217:35
NYIW 4-30004+113:02
SEAW 3-2 SO0111014:39
DETL 2-50001−316:55MINW 3-2 OT0002+120:41CHIW 4-30001+119:33CBJW 6-30111−118:34Better at home
Home and road
By opponent
By month
$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 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.
With Buffalo
Three seasons · 2023-24 to 2025-2666th in franchise points since 1990-91
Built from goal and assist records: who assists on his goals, whose goals he assists, and his scoring against each opponent.
Franchise ranks
See all: Franchise ranks →Career
Regular season and playoffsThree seasons, all with the Sabres
Career · regular season
Season rows reconcile with the official career totals.
Draft
Updated after every final · through 6 Oct