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Originally Posted by dammage79
I still think Bennett is Flames property on draft day. The three players that will be taken ahead of him are all closer to NHL readiness. This maybe the simplest factor to consider when FLA, BUF and EDM make their picks. I think BUF and EDM are looking for more ready prospects whereas the Flames can afford to let a player like Bennett ripen.
FLA could end up taking Bennett as well knowing full well they can afford to let a center develop longer and ripen as well. But They, like most teams need an Ekblad as well.
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Based off Tim Murray's recent comments in the link below, I think the Sabres are more than willing to be patient with any of the top 4 players.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/nh...dive-right-in/
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Luckily for Murray, he doesn’t have to change philosophies when it comes to making picks: The Sabres are rebuilding and can’t get position-specific with their marquee selection.
“Hey, we’re a 30th place team, so we have lots of needs,” he said. “We do have some good young players coming up in different positions but we need to take the best player available. There are a lot of immediate needs, but we’re not going to address them. We’re going to go through this long-term, take the best player available and if he has to go back to junior, so be it.”
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The more I read about Bennett, the more I think he doesn't drop out of the top 2.....Based off the sample report card posted by Red Line Report, he looks like he could have a Toews level of impact on a franchise.
http://www.redlinereport.com/wp-cont...rofile-RLR.pdf
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Scouting Report: Very possibly the most complete, all-around forward in this year's crop. There's very little he doesn't excel at. Supremely competitive and plays the game with fire and passion. Never gives up on a play - tenacious on the forecheck and causes a ton of turnovers and mistakes with his attacking, pressure style. Terrific skater and puckhandler with great vision and an imaginative passer. Much more physical than his size would indicate. Backchecks hard and responsible in all three zones.
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On the plus side, there are more mock drafts that have the Flames picking Bennett than picking anyone else(fingers crossed), and based off what the Oilers' head scout said in an interview a couple of days ago I think there is a slightly higher chance they pick Draisaitl than Bennett if their pick came down to choosing between these two.