Other way around, no?

Simashev (#6) for Leonard (#8)
But (#12) for Benson (#13)

You're right. Just put it like that bc I personally had Benson a lot higher going into the draft. I would've taken him at 6, but it played out how you put it here

Arizona doesn’t have a need for benson or Leonard, they do have a need for Simashev and But. Benson plays LW, we have Keller and Maccelli who are both young. We have no true 1D caliber player in the system, does Simashev make it? Who knows, but he’s got the talent. Bill Armstrong drafted Tage Thompson, if he thinks he’s got a player who is massive and can skate and score, you take that guy.

There is no other way around because the Sabres aren't trading Benson. Nor should they. Perhaps they should have drafted Benson with #6 or #12, eh?

Benson is looking pretty good right now. Not sure what will happen when the real games begin, but his hockey sense and feel for the NHL game are off-the-charts for an 18 yr. old.

Wild to me that ARI could have left that draft with Michkov and Benson.

No doubt, it’s certainly no hate on benson, I hope he tears it up for Buffalo. I just think Simashev and But fit the needs the yotes have while having crazy high ceilings. I wanted Dvorsky and Simashev at 6 and 12, I’m certainly not going to be mad if the team thought Simashev was too much of a risk to be picked so they needed him at 6.

And why EXACTLY would the Sabres do that??

I’d consider doing it for a high end RD prospect,
but only bc we are so loaded at forward

Benson looks great

I think it’s a revisionist history post, ie, “what if Yotes drafted these guys instead”…not a trade offer

nice

Worth a look, for sure. However, I'd hesitate right now. Benson has just so much going for him that if, with 'if' being a key word, he can reach his projection as a high-end forward, his trade value would command the return of a 2/3 RD. Which is great. Having said that, Buffalo has two top-pairing d-men in Dahlin and Power and the need, imo, is for complimentary players to pair them with meaning the trade value of Benson might ('might' being the operative word here) exceed what's necessary to fill those roles.

The regular season will be the test for him, as an 18yr. old so no real prognostications coming from this guy, but he sure looks like a keeper.

Well said. I don't think Simashev would have lasted that long, but I can see why you'd have liked it to play out that way.

Gotcha. My bad

Reasonable take on the situation
Hopefully, Clifton works out & we won’t have to worry about it