How Matty Beniers Is Refining His All-Around Game
Seattle's young center is a budding two-way star
Despite their recent struggles, the Seattle Kraken have taken such a massive leap forward in their second NHL season that they occupy a wild-card spot in the West. There’s more to this upswing than a full year of Matty Beniers, of course, but the more he plays, the more he looks like a future two-way cornerstone.
On most nights, the rookie ranks among the team’s best performers:
The 20-year-old’s pace and willingness to work at both ends of the ice were evident in his 10-game stint to close out 2021-22. Since then, he’s further honed his craft to expand his three-zone influence.
Here’s how Beniers’ all-around game is blossoming as he grows into his top-line role.
Lean on Me
While the kid is still flying around the rink, he’s now hustling in a more purposeful manner. Beniers deploys his wheels not only as a weapon on the rush but also as the glue that holds his line’s structure together.
In essence, he’s become a high-end cleanup man.
Seattle’s blueliners can keep a tight gap in the neutral zone because they know he’ll catch up on the backcheck. With that said, his support is most apparent below his team’s goal line. Once the opposition establishes zone time, he scans the action for a potential 50/50 battle and dashes in to swiftly regain possession.
No one-on-ones here. Thanks to his agility and sharp tracking, Beniers is consistently waiting in the weeds to outnumber you:
This reliability manifests itself on the breakout too. The freshman does well to claim the center lane and stay tight to the play in order to provide a safe outlet. He rarely takes shortcuts up the ice.
As a result, the Kraken don’t concede much during his shifts.
Among the club’s regular forwards (500+ minutes at 5-on-5), he gives up the fourth-fewest high-danger chances, expected goals and actual goals.
Granted, some concerns remain. He’s lousy at the dot (42.3%), occasionally a bit flimsy with his clearances and his slight 6’2”, 178-pound frame does betray him in the corners. Nevertheless, he possesses the most developed three-zone game of any rookie in the league. He’s just…always there for his teammates.
There’s a difference between lining up at center and understanding how to play the position. Fortunately for Seattle, Beniers appears to be quite a quick study.
Belly of the Beast
In his cup of coffee with the Kraken last year, Beniers often pulled the trigger from the flanks. But here’s the thing: He isn’t a pure marksman.
He won’t beat goaltenders from distance with much regularity, and it seems as though even he realizes this. He’s thus streamlined his shot selection in 2022-23, boosting his odds of success by playing much closer to home plate:
In an admittedly small sample size, he took just 39% of his shots from the slot last season. This year? That figure is up to 59%.
Beniers has clearly made it a point to drive toward the blue paint. And with his natural inclination to bust his ass off, he simply outworks defenders in spite of a considerable strength disadvantage. No matter how he stacks up to his man, he won’t stop moving his feet, working himself free and fighting for loose change.
Packing on an additional 10-15 pounds of muscle would make him a real handful in the trenches. In the meantime, his sheer activity level is still a thorn in the side of opponents:
Unsurprisingly, Beniers’ emphasis on close-quarters offense has vaulted his individual metrics (per 60 minutes) to another dimension:
Scoring chances: 3.20 —> 7.40
High-danger chances: 1.37 —> 3.73
Expected goals: 0.27 —> 0.74
Actual goals: 0.46 —> 0.88
Those are ridiculous spikes across the board. Better yet, his habit of crashing the crease forces defenders to pick him up and furnishes his linemates with quality opportunities. His SCF/60, HDCF/60, xGF/60 and GF/60 are much higher this season as well. That’s great news for Jordan Eberle. Riding shotgun next to Beniers, the crafty 32-year-old is enjoying his most productive campaign since 2014-15.
As it turns out, it’s the rookie who’s making the veteran’s life easier.
Beniers doesn’t seem like the most menacing net-front presence at first blush, yet his persistence and nose for the puck are proving otherwise—and everyone around him is reaping the rewards.
Smarter Service
Obviously, he brings more to the table than grit and grime. His skill played a large role in Seattle’s decision to draft him second overall in 2021, and his playmaking is the trait that has translated most seamlessly to the big leagues so far.
However, the restraint and self-awareness Beniers has demonstrated as a shooter also apply to his puck management. He’s cut down on some of the low-percentage stuff (e.g. saucer passes through sticks and bodies), opting for simple dishes into favorable areas.
Watch how he processes the opposition’s defensive posture, drawing coverage to capitalize on the sizable gaps it leaves behind:
How much flash did you see in that footage?
Beniers prefers fast and forceful passes that exploit windows before they close shut. On the power play, his post at the right circle makes him a credible one-timer threat, so he’s become particularly fond of shot-passes to his teammates down low that use the goaltender’s momentum against them.
All told, his efficient playmaking and arm’s-length attack have yielded 48 points in 65 games. That leads all rookies. If you believe that 5-on-5 offense is king, he ranks first in points/60 too.
Any way you slice it, he’s been the most productive freshman in the NHL this season.
Part of that is raw talent, but he’s harnessed it to great effect with a mature less-is-more attitude. The 20-year-old already recognizes that he plays his best hockey by playing within himself.
Much like Beniers, the Kraken have traversed peaks and valleys in 2022-23. They’re likely closer to pretenders than contenders this year.
When you examine the big picture, though, the progress is undeniable.
Their long-term centerpiece is learning how to work both hard and smart. As he adds more mass and experience, he’ll only climb higher up the ranks, carrying his team along for the ride.