Depending on how much hockey you watch around Edmonton, Tyler Benson may or may not be well known to you. He certainly drew rave reviews during his formative hockey years in Edmonton with the South Side Athletic Club. Benson encountered some injury issues during his NHL draft season, and went from being a lock for the top 10 overall in the 2016 draft to an early second-round selection. How good is Tyler Benson?

EARLY HEADLINES

  • January, 2013—Rising Star.
  • May 2, 2013—Local standout goes first in WHL Bantam Draft.
  • May, 2013—Benson goes first, Quenneville 10th.
  • Craig Button, November 2014: “He reminds so
    much of Jamie Benn at the same age. Tyler can make plays off the wing or
    score off the wing, and guys like him are rare. He thinks the game at
    such a high pace, and that translates when you can make plays, when
    everything around you is busy.”     Source
  • Claude Noel, who coached Benson: “He thinks the
    game at a really good level. He has a tremendous feel for where people
    are. His pursuit is excellent. He’s physical, he’s strong on the puck.”     Source
During the period after the 2014-15 season, several scouting services chimed in on Benson as a player. Red Line Report had him as a top 10 pick entering his draft year, the Black Book Draft 2015 talked about his range of abilities and mentioned he had a complete skill set (should all elements develop).

THE INJURY SEASON

Benson had a tough year, with injuries, and there is no doubt Edmonton would never had had a chance at him in Round 2 without the maladies (a cyst removed and a groin injury). By the time final draft rankings appeared, most had Benson outside the first round—with Corey Pronman of ESPN a stone alone in keeping him inside the top 20 overall:
  • Bob McKenzie: No. 39
  • Craig Button: No. 44
  • Corey Pronman: No. 18
  • Black Book: No. 34
  • McKeens: No. 43
  • ISS: No. 55
That’s the bad news. Here is the good news: The available information on him in terms of even strength offense is very impressive—especially considering his difficulties this past year. According to Prospect-Stats:
  • His .700 even-strength points-per-game ranks him No. 2 among (first
    time) 2016 draft-eligible WHL forwards (Dillon Dube, .707—he was chosen
    No. 56 overall by Calgary).
  • His .567 primary even-strength points-per-game ranks him No. 2 among
    (first time) 2016 draft-eligible WHL forwards (Dillon Dube, .585—he was
    chosen No. 56 overall by Calgary).
  • He did this on a team that won 23 games, and the Giants were one of five teams in the league to score fewer than 200 goals.
Those are impressive totals, especially considering he was not 100 percent during the year.
In acquiring Benson, the skill set suggests Edmonton drafted a two-way player with terrific vision and soft hands. Injury issues aside, there is little doubt he was value at No. 32 overall.

WHAT KIND OF PLAYER IS HE?

  • Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst: He is a
    nightmare to defend because he is as physically punishing with the puck
    as he is without it. Benson is very shifty with tremendous balance,
    meaning he can continue to move if he gets hit at the same time he
    decides to change direction. Possessing the kind of vision and IQ he
    owns makes it no surprise the CHL came close to giving him “exceptional”
    status to play a full season as a 15 year old (cut short by a knee
    injury). And while some felt his production last season (45 points in 62
    games) was unbecoming of a CHL’er almost honored in the same manner as
    John Tavares and Connor McDavid, his ability to swarm the puck and do
    something with it thereafter makes him a highly-dangerous prospect to
    overlook. We’re still not sure whether to classify him as a playmaker or
    a scorer because he can be both, sometimes off the same cycle, when he
    will either create quality chances for others, or grab the puck and wire
    a heavy, accurate shot with a quick release. The sky’s the limit for
    the Edmonton native, and as far as the CHL is concerned, we think he’s
    almost there.     Source

IS HE HEALTHY?

Rob Tychkowski was in Jasper for the orientation camp and wrote about Benson and his experiences. He also had a chance to interview Peter Chiarelli about Benson:
  • “You can just see it from day to day, he’s gotten better out here. He’s a smart player, he’s a strong player. He makes so
    many plays out there. He has a ways to go with his conditioning, he really hasn’t skated
    in a long time at this pace or this level, so he still has some ramping
    up to do, but we’re very happy with the selection. You can see the
    talent and the skill and the hockey sense out there. The hockey sense is
    through the roof with him.”     Source

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

No way the Oilers get Benson at No. 32 without the injury-plagued season. If you are a long time Oilers fan, it is easy to look at this selection as a bad risk and a poor bet. Based on those even-strength numbers, the scouting reports before and after, and the long, long resume that suggests he is exceptional, I think it is fair to suggest the Oilers chose wisely in the second round. We will know in time. Until then, we wait.