Benak’s performance for the Brantford Bulldogs was a welcome sight to Minnesota faithful and fantasy managers alike who took a gamble on the diminutive forward in their drafts. Benak was a force on the Bulldogs, scoring 28 goals and adding 49 assists for 77 points in 48 regular season games and putting up a line of 3-8-11 in 15 playoff games. While captain Jake O’Brien (Seattle) upcoming top-five draft pick Caleb Malholtra and league scoring leader Marek Vanacker (Chicago) certainly got most of the attention, the feisty Benak sat directly behind them in point production with fewer games played.

If you had Adam Benak being tied for the OHL scoring lead 19 games in to the 2025-2026 season when Minnesota took him in the fourth round this summer, you would certainly be in the minority. Minority or otherwise, it is absolutely the case, as Benak is tied with teammate Jake O’Brien who went 94 picks before him in the draft. The Brantford Bulldogs are off to an incredible 15-0-3-1 record, and Benak has been a huge part of that. He has played in 17 games and sits with nine goals and 22 assists.

Make no mistake, Benák is a playmaker. He also skates like the wind and is able to create numerous opportunities for his teammates, no matter how small the window may be. However, Benák does have some physical development ahead of him, which may have been one of the reasons he slipped to the fourth round. He stands at just 5-8, 163 pounds that makes board play and net-front maneuvers harder. That being said, his 42 assists, tied for second in the entire USHL, is nothing to scoff at. There is real potential that Benák could be an impact playmaker for the Wild in the future. Minnesota hopes to see him progress up their organization in the coming years.

Selected 102nd overall, Adam Benak is now a member of the Minnesota Wild.

Combining burning speed, high-end vision, and a headiness and maturity beyond his years, Benak has been able to find offensive success at every level he’s played. With 3 assists in 3 playoff games, Benak wrapped up what has been a decently productive season at the USHL level (17 goals and 59 points in 56 games) and a productive year internationally (7 goals and 24 points in 12 games). Nevertheless, at 5-7 and lacking a consistent defensive game, as well as high-end scoring ability and dynamism, there is reason to question Benak’s path to the NHL.—Luke Sweeney

Benak is listed at 5-8, 163 pounds, and though smaller players are certainly no longer a rarity in the NHL, adding some size will help his chances of making and sticking in the NHL, and given he just turned 19, there’s still a chance for that. Despite all that is made of his stature- author of this piece included- he had no fear being a thorn in Gabriel Eliasson’s side during Brantford’s playoff loss to the Barrie Colts.

According to Instat, Benak was 20th in zone entries in the OHL, despite at least ten fewer games played than most ahead of him, and he was also fourth in net-expected goals, suggesting that the Bulldogs were far more likely to be expected to score when Benak was on the ice than off.

Benak will head to the NCAA in the fall after raising his profile in the OHL, and we can keep our eyes on how he maintains his upward trajectory.

There’s a lot of runway between the hot start as an OHL rookie and being a useful fantasy asset at the NHL level, but he is an absolute add and stash if he has somehow gone unclaimed in your league. Enjoy the ride as he boosts his stock, and if you don’t have the need, room or patience to wait for him, flip him while he is hot. He is a great player, but he’s likely due to cool off soon.

Final Rankings – It wouldn’t be crazy to call Benak the draft’s most purely skilled player, or to say that he has among the most mature playstyles. Unfortunately, his size and strength are big impediments.—