from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

Jamie Benn grew up watching and idolizing fellow British Columbia native Joe Sakic.

Recently, the Dallas Stars’ captain has looked a lot more like a reincarnation of Eric Lindros in his prime. Benn might not have Lindros’ pure speed, but he does have the same mix of skill, physicality and ability to bull-rush the net, a combination nearly unmatched in today’s NHL.

Just ask Canadiens’ defenceman Jeff Petry after Benn railroaded him with a clean hit on Saturday night. Benn’s thunderous hit forced a turnover, which resulted in an assist on Tyler Seguin’s goal by the time Petry could barely get to his feet again.

Benn, 26, leads the NHL with 22 goals in 33 games this season. Since returning with a gold medal from the Sochi Olympics with Team Canada in 2014, Benn has racked up 157 points in 132 games. No player other than teammate Seguin is within 19 points of him over the last two seasons.

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