There's been a very worrying lack of progression in his game the past few years. I have no doubts that he will break out of his current funk, but the truth is that he isn't a very good two-way centerman, and he's never really shown that he's trending in that direction either. Even with soft starts he often ends up hemmed in his own end getting scored on. He has remarkable offensive instincts and awareness, and a good shot, as others have noted, but he just isn't someone you can ever rely on to drive play for his line.
At this rate, once Bennett matures a little bit more, he will likely overtake Monahan in spectacular fashion. Sean needs to find a way to grow his game as a center, otherwise his role on the team is going to be quite limited. Bennett and Backlund are just so much better options currently, in pretty much any situation.
The upside is that he's still fairly young, and he could hopefully learn from guys like Backlund and Frolik who play the system well. He has all the physical tools, and his intelligence in the offensive zone seem to indicate that he should have the mental tools as well. We just have to hope he puts it together.
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