Tyler Benson was the Edmonton Oilers’ second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Benson was a projected first-rounder, so getting him early in the second round, after the excitement of seeing Jesse Puljujärvi fall to them at fourth, had Oilers fans feeling great about what had occurred. Unfortunately, the final result of his time in Edmonton left much to be desired.
The fact Benson was from Edmonton added to the hype as well. He was an outstanding minor hockey player in the city, and many had heard of his dominance. Benson set, and still holds, the Alberta U15 AAA scoring record with 146 points in just 33 games. That put him on track to be the first overall pick in the 2013 Western Hockey League bantam draft by the Vancouver Giants.
Injuries plagued his junior career, and he didn’t reach the heights that were expected of him. Despite that, he still scored 61 goals and 184 points in 190 games and was named captain of the Giants for three seasons.
The hype started to build again for Benson after his first-year pro in 2019. He stayed healthy, played in 68 games, and led the Bakersfield Condors with 15 goals and 66 points, outscoring future NHLers Victor Olofsson, Drake Batherson, and Martin Nečas. Benson spent the first portion of the next season in Bakersfield after not making the Oilers out of main camp but was later called up for his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 6, 2020.
For seven games, Benson hung around the NHL, primarily playing a bottom-six role. He scored his first NHL point in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, assisting Josh Archibald on his even-strength goal. That’s all he mustered for points during that period before heading back to Bakersfield.
Benson didn’t return to Edmonton again until after the COVID-19-affected 2021 season. He spent much time in his hometown but never found his offensive game consistently enough. After playing 29 games, Benson only had a goal and an assist to show for it. With 12 points in 18 games with the Condors, it was becoming clear what he was becoming.
Unfortunately, Benson never got another stretch with the Oilers like he did in the 2022 season. He played two more games before being let go in the offseason of 2023, when he signed an AHL deal with the Henderson Silver Knights. This was a disappointing ending to what looked to be a promising pick at the time.
It’s challenging to go from playing top minutes in the AHL to 10 minutes or less in the NHL. However, with Benson’s hype and skill, you would’ve hoped that he’d shown some magic within those limited minutes to help elevate himself. That didn’t happen. Instead, the Oilers missed out on players like Jordan Kyrou and Alex DeBrincat to take a chance on the local kid. The story would’ve been great, but this is the NHL.
