Analytics with Alison: Beniers' All-Around Game

When you're a top two overall draft pick in the NHL, you're rightly going to draw a lot of attention. When you're also the first draft pick in a franchise's history, that spotlight becomes even a little brighter. For Matty Beniers, who holds both honors for the Seattle Kraken, his game is showing why all that attention is deserved.

Now in his sophomore year at University of Michigan, Beniers is wearing the assistant captain's A on his jersey. He's got the second highest shot total on his team (46) and he's tied for third in overall points (11-8-19). Additionally, Beniers' seven power-play goals aren't just the most among any Wolverine skater, that's also the second highest total among all men's skaters in NCAA Division I hockey.
Beniers can score and he's trusted in all situations to do so.

But it's not just about the points for the 19-year-old. While scoring totals are what garner attention, when we caught up with Beniers as he attended the Kraken game Wednesday in Detroit, we were able to dig a little deeper into some key elements of how Beniers likes to play beyond what gets on the scoreboard.
Beniers is known to be a strong and energetic two-way player. While we don't have a lot of defensive metrics in college hockey today, Beniers had the best plus-minus of any Michigan skater last season (plus-21) which speaks to his ability to tilt play his team's way. Additionally, if we look to blocked shots as a proxy for being defensively responsible, Beniers posted the highest total (18) among all Michigan forwards in 2020-21 and is second only to teammate (and 2021 first overall draft pick) Owen Power in the same measure this year through 16 games played with 16 blocks.
"I think (playing defensively) is just something that's been ingrained into my game since I was younger," Beniers said. "I love playing offense. I love getting points. But you have to do the tough things, too, because you want to win the game. It doesn't really matter if you get three (individual) points when you lose the game.
"So, (blocking shots) is something that I do and that a lot of guys on the team do as well."

Defensive play is important, obviously. What's perhaps even more interesting is how responsibly Beniers has been able to do it. Last season, he finished the year with not one penalty called against him. While he has been dinged for five infractions this year, we had to ask if he's gunning for a future Lady Byng trophy (the NHL award given to the player for "best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct").
Beniers laughed, but then shared his philosophy on how he battles against opponents in game.
"That's the kind of player I am," Beniers said. "You know, I play smarter, but I play really hard. I'm not a cheap player. I try to play the game the right way. If I need to hit someone, I will, but if I think I can take the puck away, I'm not going to waste my energy (on other things that might draw a penalty). I think it's also a little lucky that I didn't have a penalty (last year). But it's a pretty cool stat."
With so much excitement around the player, Beniers is used to getting asked his thoughts on eventually turning pro. For now, as one of three children in a family that emphasizes the importance of education, "there's an end to hockey but education will last you forever" mom Christine Beniers always says, the focus is on school and his game today.
"Figuring out when to take that next step is a pretty big life choice," Beniers said. "It's not just a hockey decision. I've got a great thing going at Michigan. (I want to) get as much school done as possible. I've got great coaches, really good development... I want to take it one season at a time, and once this one's over, evaluate how I'm doing, where I'm physically, mentally and get ready to go for the next."
As far as what's immediately next, Beniers
received an invite this week to participate
in the Team USA selection training camp for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. He'll be looking to rejoin the team he helped win a gold medal in the 2021 tournament.
There are also 20 games remaining in the Wolverines' regular season schedule. Currently ranked third in the USCHO Division I Men's Hockey poll, Beniers is just one of four top five overall NHL draft picks on the roster (Owen Power - Buffalo; Luke Hughes - New Jersey; Kent Johnson - Columbus), and this group will be looking to win another national championship for Michigan.
"Playing with them in practice, competing against them every day. That raises your level of compete and gets you better," Beniers said. "You pick things from everyone on the team's game. I think that's really huge. And I think playing in the Big Ten, it's a physical league. There's a lot of skill all around the league. So, I think just being in college is a great way to get ready for the next level."