How Adam Benak is able to impact the game so significantly despite his size
Adam Benak is one of the most dynamic in the 2025 NHL Draft.
He’s also one of the most unique.
Benak, the all-time points leader at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, has been dominant on that international stage — first netting 10 points (two goals, eight assists) as a 16-year-old 12 months ago, and an additional 11 points (four goals, seven assists) earlier this August.
It sparks a debate. How successful can Benak be at the NHL level?
The 5-foot-7, 157-pound center, while blessed with impressive skill, lacks the physical characteristics associated with a first-round pick. There were no players selected in the first round of the 2024 draft registering a height of smaller than 5-foot-8. In 2023, no player shorter than 5-foot-10 was selected. Cole Caufield, in 2019, was the last player 5-foot-7 or shorter selected. Kailer Yamamoto, in 2017, are the only two first rounders to log that height or shorter dating back to 1979, according to NHL.com.
What could, potentially, make Benak a third?
Adam Benak’s shifty skating ability
Right away, Benak’s smaller frame catches the eye. Given his size relative to many other players in this tournament, the focus naturally shifts to his skating ability. He must be quick and shifty, with the capability to escape tight areas. He had absolutely no issues doing so. His skating is outstanding. While his straight-line speed isn’t consistently elite, he can accelerate rapidly when given more runway to build up his momentum. However, it’s his edges and impressive balance that make his skating even more remarkable.
Benak, No. 13 in FCHockey’s Preliminary ranking for the 2025 draft, is very slippery in open ice, able to weave his way through the neutral and offensive zones with ease. In situations where he finds himself in tight checking, he demonstrates impressive awareness of his lower center of gravity and leverage. He more than holds his own, often staying upright and even winning battles along the boards.
His skating is effortless, and he possesses an impressive motor to complement it. He forechecks hard, backchecks diligently, and is constantly moving his feet to find space in the offensive zone. Benak’s skating mitigates concerns about his size, allowing him to positively impact all three zones.
Offensive zone presence
In the offensive zone, Benak makes his presence felt primarily through his off-puck positioning. With his skating ability, he can slip into dangerous areas, positioning himself for high-quality chances. In fact, he performed well as a shooter. In three tracked games during this tournament, he fired 13 shots, with nine hitting the net, equating to 69.23% of his shots on target at even strength.
Of those 13 shots, seven were considered dangerous, coming from the home-plate area of the zone, meaning 53.85% of his shot attempts originated from a prime scoring area. Of those seven dangerous shots, five were on net, including two goals. Additionally, four of his shots came off the rush. It’s notable that just over 30% of his shots came off the rush, especially given the increasing emphasis on rush chances in recent years. One of his goals also came off the rush.
On the power play, he fired an additional 21 shots, with only six hitting the net, resulting in a 28.57% shot-on-goal rate. Of those 21 attempts, three came from the home-plate area. In addition to shots from dangerous spots, he registered four one-timers on the man advantage. Overall, 14.29% of his shots came from dangerous areas, while 19.05% were of a dangerous type, specifically one-timers.
Fast-paced style as a playmaker
As a passer, Benak played with a fast pace, consistently attacking dangerous areas. He attempted 28 passes in the offensive zone at even strength, completing 17 of them for a completion rate of 60.71%. Thirteen of those 28 passes were aimed at the slot area, meaning nearly half were directed toward the middle. Despite this, he recorded only two shot assists—passes that directly set up a shot on goal—resulting in one solid scoring chance.
This means just 7.14% of his passes led to a shot on goal, and only 3.57% created a strong chance for his teammates. One issue was his tendency to force passes into the slot with a low likelihood of connecting with the intended target. This resulted in three of his passes being intercepted and another eight missing the target without leading to a direct turnover.
On the power play, he attempted 23 passes in the offensive zone, completing 19 of them for a completion rate of 82.61%. Of those attempts, nine were aimed at the slot, a rate of 39.13%. This is nearly 10 percentage points lower than his even-strength rate, contributing to his overall passing efficiency. However, once again, his passes resulted in only two shot assists and two strong scoring chances. This means 8.7% of his power-play passes led to shots and scoring chances. With fewer forced passes on the power play, only two of his passes were intercepted, while another two were inaccurate without leading directly to a turnover.
Benak’s offensive game summarized
Benak possesses a strong shot, and when given time and space, he makes it count. While his shot isn’t the most powerful, he takes it from close range with pinpoint accuracy to beat the goalie. One of his goals, specifically his goal against Sweden, was a brilliant shot from the dot that beat the goalie just over the shoulder on the short side. That’s the kind of impact Benak can have as a shooter. However, the games tracked were against Germany, Sweden, and Canada.
Against Canada, he had zero shots from the home-plate area at even strength and just one on the power play. This means the seven dangerous shots came against Germany and Sweden. Even against Sweden, he struggled to get to the middle. The Swedish team was more physical, played faster than Germany, and had smarter and more talented defenders. While still efficient against Sweden, he wasn’t as effective as before. Facing even tougher competition against Canada, he struggled further.
This highlights an issue for Benak — against bigger, smarter, and more talented opponents, his style of attacking the slot as a shooter becomes limited. As a result, he was forced to play more from the perimeter, which is not a preferred style for NHL scouts and general managers.
Concerns about his playmaking
As a playmaker, Benak often forces too many passes. Far too frequently, he throws pucks toward the slot without a clear target. Additionally, many of his passes come from the perimeter or below the goal line. He needs to simplify his game. On the topic of his tendency to play too much on the perimeter, when he doesn’t have the puck, he often attacks the mid-slot or backdoor area, making him a threat. However, when he has possession, he is frequently seen on the outside, looking to break into the middle with a pass. His smaller stature makes it difficult for him to find lanes to the middle with the puck.
Benak in transition
When it comes to transitioning the puck up the ice and into the offensive zone, Benak showed solid efficiency and involvement. He was directly involved in 26 entry attempts at even strength, with 15 of them being successful, resulting in a controlled entry rate of 57.69%. Additionally, he attempted three dump-ins, with one successfully retrieved. The other eight attempts were deemed failures. Including the successfully retrieved dump-in, Benak’s entry attempts led to an offensive possession 61.54% of the time.
On the power play, he was directly involved in seven entry attempts, with three of them being successful, yielding a controlled entry rate of 42.86%, which is not particularly strong. This is especially notable given the extra space typically available to players in the neutral zone during a man advantage. Benak had three other attempts that failed to gain the zone, as well as one dump-in that was not retrieved.
However, similar to his overall offensive impact, Benak struggled against Canada. In the gold medal game, he had nine entry attempts at even strength, with four resulting in controlled entries for a rate of 44.44%. He also had one dump-in that was not retrieved, as well as three failed attempts to gain the offensive zone. On the power play, he had two attempts, with one successful entry and one dump-in that was not retrieved.
Exiting the defensive zone more of his strong suit
As for exiting the defensive zone, Benak was just as involved but more efficient. At even strength, he was involved in 26 exit attempts, with 17 of them successfully exiting the defensive end with possession. This results in a controlled exit rate of 65.38%, which is very strong. He added another five uncontrolled exits—plays that led to the puck exiting the zone without him or a teammate in possession. This means he had 22 successful exits, giving him a total exit rate of 84.62%. The remaining four attempts were exit failures. In short-handed situations, Benak had two exit attempts, both of which cleared the zone, but only one was a controlled exit.
Not even Canada could diminish Benak’s efficiency in this area. In the gold medal game, he was directly involved in 11 exit attempts at even strength. Of those, six were controlled exits, four were uncontrolled, and only one was a failure. Benak was simple and intelligent when tasked with clearing the puck, rarely making a mistake. He often opted for a touch pass to a defender when under pressure or used the boards to chip the puck out. He never forced a pass or attempted to stickhandle through traffic in these situations. His involvement in the defensive end provided him with numerous puck touches in his three tracked games.
Smart, energetic, and confident defensive zone play
In his own end, Benak is highly involved. Playing as a center, he stays close to the slot and is eager to engage along the boards. As noted in his skating analysis, he has a strong understanding of leverage and uses his lower center of gravity effectively. This has helped him win a significant number of battles. At even strength, he recorded 38 defensive zone puck touches, with only three of those leading to turnovers, resulting in a turnover rate of just 7.89%.
While he rarely turns the puck over, he forced the opposition into 10 giveaways, serving as the catalyst for these turnovers. Of those 10 takeaways caused by Benak, five were the result of reading and intercepting passes. While short-handed, Benak had only two defensive zone puck touches, with no giveaways. He also forced a takeaway and recorded a blocked shot during those minutes.
One of his standout traits in his own end is his motor. Benak constantly moves his feet and pressures opponents, staying close to them if they are in a position where he can attack. His motor is also evident in his backcheck, where he disrupted six entry attempts against his team. He played a crucial role in keeping the play away from his own end and performed well in those situations.
Defensive game summation
While the numbers are impressive, let’s paint a clearer picture. A team will find Benak defensively to be a coach’s dream. His style of constantly moving his feet and getting involved along the wall and in battles will be well received. Moreover, he doesn’t just chase the play wildly; his movements are controlled. When he recognizes he’s getting pulled out of position, he peels off and returns to his responsibilities. This motor, combined with his awareness, will help him transition to the next level more quickly, as he will earn more trust from coaches.
However, he is still a smaller player. The battles he faced against players of his age are one thing, but competing with smarter, stronger, bigger, and faster opponents who have played longer than Benak is a different challenge. His first test will be how he handles the smaller ice surfaces in the USHL. If he chooses to pursue an NCAA opportunity, it will be important to observe how he manages against older, bigger, and more talented competition there. With his size being a concern, he might switch positions to play as a winger, which would allow him to maintain his high-motor style while reducing his involvement in low-zone battles. However, there is plenty of time for him to get stronger, grow a bit taller, and refine his skills in tight-checking areas.
Projection: Where will Adam Benak go and what role will he play?
When projecting Benak, his skill set and play style are intriguing. He’s talented in the offensive zone, and with some additional work simplifying his game, he could become a dangerous player with the puck on his stick. He also provides solid value in his own end despite his size, which could ease his transition to higher levels. Additionally, while his transitional skills were not fully on display, he has the talent to be strong in that area as well. Typically, his high motor and three-zone impact suggest he could become at least a middle-six forward. However, his size concerns and struggles against stronger and more skilled opponents like Sweden and Canada raise some questions about how well he can transition.
Regarding his role, a move to wing could be in his future. On a more optimistic note, Benak could develop into a dangerous, multi-dimensional offensive winger in a team’s top six. He also has power-play potential. Conversely, he might struggle to transition to North America, which could affect the confidence he shows in the offensive end and impact his ceiling. Given these factors, he is somewhat of a risk. At this point, he is more of a mid-to-late first-round option for the 2025 draft. However, his talent could push him into a higher spot in the first round.
What others are saying
“Benak is one of the most electric players I’ve seen at the Hlinka Gretzky tournament. Generally the most dominant player on the ice when he plays, Benak is a highly-skilled playmaker who uses his quickness and control of the pace at an elite level to command plays and beat players. He’s incredibly fast and can really burst, but he’s not constantly going full throttle as he likes to switch gears sporadically to burn defenses. He’s so dangerous off the rush, driving the puck with authority and confidence.” — Joey Fortin Boulay, FCHockey scout
“Benak is just a fun player to watch, and one of the top offensive talents for the 2025 draft class. He can absolutely fly around the ice. He can absolutely dart in and out of traffic both with and without the pucks and puts defenses on their heels the second he starts to wind up. Benak is almost a cheat code for an offensive-zone entry. He loves jumping into vacant lanes in the neutral zone and firing up some speed before taking a pass, and his feet don’t slow when the puck hits his blade. The only thing faster than his feet might be his hands. He can flip from stickhandling to getting a quick shot off with a rapid release in one smooth motion, which will paralyze goalies at this level. The rub lies in the fact that Benak is one of the most undersized forwards in the draft, and everything above can be called into question when he reaches higher levels and bigger, stronger, faster forwards. Few prospects his size has ever made a significant contribution at the NHL level. The debate will rage on how he’ll handle better competition, and whether he’s got more runway to ensure that he’s always one step ahead.: — Aaron Vickers, FCHockey scout
Benak’s tracked games:
- August 6, 2024 versus Germany U18
- August 8, 2024 versus Sweden U18
- August 10, 2024 versus Canada U18