What’s the future best and worst case for playoff breakouts Logan Stankoven and Zach Benson?

Zach Benson had his fingerprints all over the Buffalo Sabres’ series-tying win on Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens. At this point, it’s nothing new — his breakout performance has helped fuel Buffalo to this point.

The same goes for Logan Stankoven in Carolina. His clutch scoring has been one of the driving forces behind the Hurricanes’ ridiculous 8-0 start to the playoffs.

It’s easy to get carried away with these kinds of difference-making performances. Thriving in the pressure-cooker that is the Stanley Cup playoffs can define a player’s career. There are regular-season contributors, and then there are big-game players, where lore can outpace a player’s actual ability.

But for both Benson and Stankoven, there is regular-season substance behind their playoff glow-ups. These two have shown signs of that next level throughout the regular season, and now it’s coming together on the big stage.

So what does the future hold for these two?

Projecting a player’s trajectory isn’t a perfect science because there’s so much uniqueness to sort through. But looking at players with similar characteristics in the same age range, like physical attributes, production, play-driving and other stylistic ticks, can help point to comparables and create a range of outcomes for an up-and-comer. And this year’s postseason play from both Benson and Stankoven is pushing them closer to their respective best-case scenarios.

Logan Stankoven, Carolina Hurricanes

Eight points have been the lucky number for Stankoven each postseason: in 19 games in 2024, 15 games in 2025, and now eight games this year. But his run isn’t over yet, and there’s likely more in the tank this postseason if his pace to this point is any indication.

There’s a lot of substance behind his performance, thanks to how often and efficiently Stankoven shoots the puck. He is currently ninth in the playoffs with 20.7 shot attempts per 60 at five-on-five, and a higher percentage of those attempts — about 76 percent, compared to 66 percent in the regular season — are going on goal. And those shots are even more dangerous, thanks to dynamic pre-shot movement and more rebounds created.

That was clear from the first game of the playoffs, when the Hurricanes generated 19 shot attempts that added up to an xG value of 2.17 at five-on-five (of the team’s total 3.16), only allowed five shots back, and went up 2-0 in scoring in his minutes. And this play shows what’s worked so well for Stankoven’s line with Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. He drives to the middle of the ice, gets set up with a pass from below the goal line, and creates chaos in the net-front to give Hall space for a second chance.

What makes this line tougher to contain is that they can play the game in all different ways. Stankoven embraces the Canes’ forechecking style of play and can help sustain long stretches of offensive zone pressure. But he also amps up their rush game, too, which has been a key part of the team’s success so far.

What seems to be working best this postseason, in particular, is letting Hall and Blake do more of the puck-carrying while Stankoven gets open for the shot.

Add in some solid defense from Stankoven and clutch reactionary saves, and it all adds up to just a dominant start to the postseason. The Canes have outright controlled the play in his minutes with a 72 percent xG rate, and the score sheet backs that up with an 11-2 goal differential.

The key to any playoff breakout is finding the balance between excitement and reality. Stankoven didn’t just develop into the 2C the Canes needed overnight; he showed signs of this caliber all year long. He built his game up to this moment and really picked it up down the stretch, as he grew more and more comfortable playing center.

That regular season showed some promising comps, and his postseason is proving those could very well be in his future.

Two stand out in particular: Artturi Lehkonen and Tyler Johnson.

Lehkonen was more of a late bloomer compared to Stankoven; at that age, they had similar traits, but Lehkonen was only worth a plus-0.1 Net Rating, while the Canes center ended the year at plus-2.9. But some of it had to do with his usage before getting traded to Colorado. With the Canadiens, Lehkonen was deployed in the defensive zone a lot, against the opponent’s best, especially when the team needed to protect a lead. But he proved he was more than just a forechecker after getting traded to the Avs; that’s where he really grew into being a top-six disruptor and facilitator. Stankoven’s already ahead of that curve,  and could push his ceiling higher. Still, this wouldn’t be a bad outcome by any stretch.

The Johnson blueprint is pretty much the opposite, because he started strong with the Lightning and eventually fizzled out. At 24 years old, though, his Net Rating was just a shade ahead of Stankoven’s at a plus-3.5. But that peak level he eventually grew into could be plausible here, and maybe even more sustainable.

A few other comps that could fit here are Cam Atkinson and Oliver Bjorkstrand, considering their similar two-way values at this point in their respective careers. Having the support of a contender this early in his career could help Stankoven move the needle higher.

This postseason obviously points to that possibility, but his regular season adds another layer to that. Remember, this was his first full season playing 1) center, which is a challenging position especially in this demanding system, and 2) a real top-six role. The more he grows into that (and the more Blake, one of his primary wingers, continues to develop) the more he could push the boundaries even higher.

Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres

Benson is another short king proving size isn’t everything, especially when you play a big game.

He plays a fearless style, with no problem driving to the higher-traffic areas and mixing it up with defenders trying to box him out. Benson is quickly gaining a reputation for being pesky between the whistles and after them, which gets under players’ skin, especially in a long, tense playoff series. And more times than not, he’s drawing penalties, not taking them.

That kind of style and attitude is something general managers actively look for ahead of the playoffs. Every team needs scorers, but they also need playoff dogs, which Benson is quickly proving to be at just 21.

What makes him so special is that it’s just part of his game; he isn’t just some bottom-six player who can stir the pot when it matters most. He pairs all that tenacity with a high-skill game on both ends of the ice.

And it makes for some plays like this, where Benson sets up Josh Doan off the rush with a cross-seam pass.

Benson is a total menace with his puck-hounding. He reads plays well to spot trigger points. With those smarts, there’s just a hard-working player who will outright create his own points to pounce at. Between his speed and pesky stick, he is great at forcing turnovers.

Just watch how he pressures Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson to extend the Sabres’ zone time, then gets into scoring position to get his team on the board.

Along with puck-retrieving and forechecking, there’s a lot of puck-moving ability in his game. He isn’t the most dynamic rush threat just yet, since a lot of his game surrounds a chip-and-chase style, but he has shown signs of that being a part of his next level; in the regular season, when he did enter with control, he did a good job of turning those entries into scoring chances. He is chipping in with that so far this postseason, too.

With the puck on his stick, he does some real damage between his playmaking and scoring chance creation. Benson isn’t a volume shooter, but he makes the most of his shots by driving right to the dangerous areas. That’s earned him a 59.6 percent xG rate this postseason and helped the Sabres outscore opponents 7-2 in his five-on-five minutes.

The present is already bright for Benson, but the future is even more exciting — especially if he can stay on the Seth Jarvis path.

As one executive put it in this year’s Player Tiers, “Hagel and Jarvis, they’re little a–holes who play the game the way it should be played.” And the Sabres are basically rocking the lite version of that, with Benson and Doan.

A lot lines up between Benson and Jarvis at 20 years old. Size and stature are a part of it, since neither player has a hulking frame. But their two-way values are what really drive this one home; their Net Ratings are neck-and-neck at this point in their careers. Jarvis has obviously built on that all-around game a ton over the last few years and become one of the rare wingers to gain some Selke consideration. The defensive side of Benson’s game has developed a lot over the last year, which is why he is getting trusted to play tough usage this postseason, where he has limited opponents to just 2.06 expected goals against. He could have the makings to become a true shutdown threat and follow in Jarvis’ footsteps.

Another comp, Anton Lundell, adds more weight to that potential as an all-around threat. But there is always a range of outcomes for any player, especially this early in their career. A few developmental missteps could instead put Benson on a path more similar to Tyler Ennis instead.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is one other player he tends to draw comparisons to: Brad Marchand. The pot-stirring, peskiness, defensive game and offensive ability all line up and make him the perfect player to mirror. What separates their similarity scores is that Marchand took a few more years to hit that high-caliber game. But when he broke through, he obviously became an elite two-way threat. That’s exactly what Benson should be striving toward, and he is quickly showing encouraging signs it could be in his future.

Data via Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, All Three Zones, Dom Luszczyszyn and HockeyStats.  This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers.