The latest on Sabres winger Zach Benson, Ron Francis returns to the Penguins, the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win could benefit youth hockey in Carolina, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports sources tell him the Buffalo Sabres are working on a new contract for winger Zach Benson that could be comparable to the deal they signed with winger Josh Doan.
Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson (NHL Images
Benson, 21, is coming off his entry-level contract. He netted a career-best 43 points in 65 games this season, along with five goals and nine points in 13 games.
Doan, 24, signed a seven-year contract extension with the Sabres in January worth an average annual value of $6.95 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benson garnered plenty of attention with his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s a sparkplug player who gave his teammates a jolt of energy and timely offense when needed most.
Benson’s pesky ways also got under his opponents’ skin. His slewfoot of Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in their first-round series showed a level of recklessness that could get him into trouble if he continues with those antics. He’ll need to keep his head on a swivel the next time those two clubs face each other.
Nevertheless, Benson emerged this season as an invaluable part of the Sabres’ roster. He’ll be crucial to their efforts to build on this season’s success.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Ron Francis has returned to the Penguins as the Special Advisor, Hockey Operations to president of hockey ops and general manager Kyle Dubas.
Francis won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins as a player from 1991 to 1998. He recently left the Seattle Kraken after spending six years in front-office roles, mostly as their general manager.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup championship run this season could provide a boost to local youth hockey as their first Cup run did twenty years ago.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Marlies are the AHL’s Calder Cup champions after defeating the Chicago Wolves 4-3 in Game 5 of the Cup Final. It’s the second time they’ve won the AHL championship in eight years.
TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan finished third among the postseason scorers with 18 points, including three assists in the Cup-clinching game.
The Marlies also had the sweater of the late Maple Leafs prospect Radim Amirov in their Calder Cup championship photo. His No. 72 jersey had been hanging in their dressing room and practice facility this season. Amirov was the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2020. He passed away in 2023 from a brain tumor.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Marlies for their Calder Cup championship. It was also a classy gesture on their part to honor Amirov’s memory.
Some folks on social media tried to credit the Marlies’ success to newly-hired Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka, but he had nothing to do with it. This team was built by Maple Leafs assistant GM (and Marlies general manager) Ryan Hardy, under the supervision of former Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
RATINGS.ORG: Marco D’Amico profiled prospect defenseman Xavier Villeneuve of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He will be playing for Boston University next season.
The 5’11, 162-pound Villeneuve’s size has dropped him in the overall prospect rankings. However, his style of play has drawn comparisons to Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes and Montreal Canadiens blueliner Lane Hutson.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson’s size was the reason why he dropped to the second round in the 2022 draft, where the Montreal Canadiens selected him. Considering how Hutson has become a star in Montreal, teams seeking a puck-moving defenseman could keep that in mind to avoid making the same mistake with Villeneuve.