Is James van Riemsdyk Better Than Zach Benson? NHL Stats Decide

The career statistics tell a clear story in this LW comparison. James van Riemsdyk holds the advantage in 5 of 6 key categories, with Goals representing the most decisive gap — a 905.9% difference that separates these two NHL players. This is not a close debate on the numbers.

James van Riemsdyk's Goals of 342 compared to Zach Benson's 34 represents a 905.9% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Zach Benson falls 86.4% below the career average of 250 in this category while James van Riemsdyk exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for James van Riemsdyk's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Penalty Minutes, where James van Riemsdyk posts 431 against Zach Benson's 138 — a gap of just 212.3%. Zach Benson can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 5-1 tally suggests. In any debate, Penalty Minutes is the statistical ammunition for the Zach Benson side.

Hockey's greatest players accumulate points through both goal scoring and playmaking. The balance between goals and assists often reveals a player's style — pure scorer versus pass-first playmaker.

James van Riemsdyk wins this head to head comparison decisively — 5 categories to 1. The 905.9% gap in Goals alone makes a compelling case, but the consistency across multiple categories confirms James van Riemsdyk's statistical superiority in this NHL career comparison.