Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers has had a great start to his career and is getting the attention he deserves across the league.
This season is Beniers first full NHL season, and he has been a key part of the Kraken’s success. In 41 games played, he has tallied 16 goals and 18 assists entering Saturday night’s matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Beniers leads all NHL rookies in scoring and is well on his way to contending for a Calder Trophy. He is only trailing Andre Burakovsky for the scoring lead in Seattle’s locker room.
But Beniers isn’t just a player who can find the back of the net. He is a two-way player that puts as much effort in his own zone as he does on the attack.
Before Seattle’s win over the Boston Bruins, head coach Jim Montgomery had plenty of praise for the center, comparing him to a Bruins legend.
“He’s a really good hockey player,” Montgomery said. “He’s as good defensively as he’s shown offensively. He might even be better defensively. His reads in the D-zone, tracking, and then on the forecheck are high-end. I don’t want to compare him to (Patrice Bergeron), but you see some of those qualities as the way he plays without the puck.”
Beniers has already been awarded for his outstanding performance by making it to the All-Star Game, but this comparison will also mean a lot to him. Bergeron was one of Beniers favorite players growing up in Massachusetts. Being compared to Bergeron at 20 years old is no easy feat and means that Seattle has a talented player on their hands.
The Kraken are currently surging to the top of the Pacific Division. If Beniers continues to play like his idol Bergeron, Seattle can compete for the top spot in the Western Conference.
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