This Buffalo Sabres forward has a great opportunity in front of him.

Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson had a successful rookie season for the Atlantic Division club. The 2023 first-round pick impressed during the preseason and earned himself a roster spot because of it. From there, he stuck with the Sabres for the season, posting 11 goals and 30 points in 71 games. Overall, it was a solid first year for the Chilliwack, British Columbia native, especially when noting that he was 18 years old throughout it (he turned 19 on May 12).

Now, after a good rookie campaign, Benson is entering the 2024-25 season with the expectation of taking his game to a new level. When looking at the Sabres’ current roster, he should be given plenty of opportunity to shine.

Heading into the summer, one of the Sabres’ top objectives was to bring in a proven top-six winger. Unfortunately, they missed out on the big names available and instead focused on improving their forward depth, adding Jason Zucker, Ryan McLeod, Sam Lafferty, Beck Malenstyn, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. With this, Benson has a real shot of competing for a top-six spot for this upcoming season. This is especially so when noting that Buffalo also bought out Jeff Skinner this summer.

When looking at the Sabres’ depth at left wing, Benson’s biggest competition for the 2LW spot is Zucker. While Zucker has shown throughout his career that he can be an impactful point producer, Benson’s immense skill and potential certainly give him a chance to secure the role next season.

It will be interesting to see if Benson takes advantage of the opportunity and puts together a breakout year in 2024-25 from here.