Undersized centre-wing who might defty the odds ala DeBrincat. He is an ultra hockey smart with one of the best sets of wheels in the entire draft class. An elite passer who not only is fearless taking hits from bigger opponents, he has learned to dish punishment out. The road will be full of pitfalls but after you watch him play, you certainly root for him to eventually be an NHL wing.There always seems to be a player in the Ivan Hlinka Cup Tournament that explodes into a dominent player. This last summer it was five foot seven Benak, a creative centre who exploded all over the ice with a countless number of quality scoring chances. Possesses terrific on-ice vision, passing prowess, and imaginative thinking when it comes to the attack zone. The intended puck receivers get gifted with pucks that are weighted so the can skate into them and not slow momentum. Sets up scorers with quick one touch passes too. You know you are getting a diminutive player, who probably gets handled in many defensive portions of the game, but on the other side of the argument, you have a player who plays the game a gear above the rest, with his displays of acceleration, dynamic skating, and great edging when he turns tight. He displays speed, anticipation defensively and can step up and in to intercept passes and turn them into quick strike counters.
–Bill Płaczek–
Benak is a small, highly skilled player and seems to be a very good facilitator, using elite skating to set up teammates. Reports seem to think he can succeed against bigger players, and can hold his own on defense. Will drop some in the draft because of size concerns. Success in international play and USHL; comparisons to Stankoven and others show that he has a good chance of success. CHI may need size but with extra picks this year a skilled playmaker might be worth taking a chance on. –John Skinner–
