I like the player, but I liked Pitlick as well, so who knows. The 3 players you mentioned are the EXACT comparables I would use for him from the Oilers recent history. I think he might have a little more skill than them, but its not by much I don't think. Pitlick and Benson had almost the exact same draft+1 stats, in the same league even. Roughly the same size, with Pitlick slightly larger, and both wingers who play "somewhat" the same as well (at least in junior).
Pitlicks a somewhat decent comparable, albeit Benson's draft+1 was still noticeably better and was trending up significantly at the time that he was injured. He was also doing it on a terrible team that was 2nd last in goals for. Medicine Hat on the other hand scored 80 more goals than Vancouver in that season Pitlick played. Pitlick was also a late birthday so he had even more of an advantage during that season.
The thing is, I like Pitlick and think he could have become a 2nd liner if not for injuries, but his reckless crash and bang style unfortunately has made his injuries far too predictable. Benson on the other hand has had some unfortunate injuries with a sports hernia and cyst on his coccyx, but there's nothing about his style of play that really suggests these injuries are recurring or anything aside from bad luck.
As to Martindale and Hamilton, both of those players benefited from being huge frames playing against teenagers. This is probably one of the most common occurrences in CHL hockey. Big players putting up good seasons and then looking horrible in the AHL. Its a much different game when you can't physically dominate 16-20 year olds because of your size advantage.
To be clear, I'm not saying Benson is different from these players due to looking at their stat lines. I'm saying it because his playmaking and hockey IQ are at a level that none of these players possessed. Just my opinion, and you're entitled to yours. I saw him play a bunch last season and of the clips I've seen this year he looks to be continuing to trend up.
