Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
The other issue too is the dressing room.
This is a tight group, and while Bennett has been around the team all winter he hasn't been part of the group that has gotten them here.
If I was Treliving I'd set out a checklist that he has to go through, survive the checklist and he's here to stay.
But before he even gets to an NHL contest I'd say he has to be better than forward #9 by enough of a margin that his impact is worth the risk of hurting the dressing room by removing a player that has paid his dues.
All that changes in September and things re-set, but right now the Flames have been carried by a lot of guys further than anyone expected, and they have to respect that. Pushing say Lance Bouma out of the top 9 and Byron out of the lineup so a guy can go out and be less effective at both those players games does nothing for Bennett or the Flames.
But if he's a clear cut upgrade? You have to test it.
|
You don't really know if he's a clearcut upgrade until he plays. But I think you've hit on a great point. Lots of people applaud the "always earned, never given" motto for pushing young players to earn their spots on the club. But in the game against the Jets, we saw the flipside come to fruition:
pressure from our prospects is forcing the weakest players in our lineup to up their game and Raymond, Bollig and Byron finally broke through.
Having a dynamic player like Bennett who has both the skill and the fire to make an immediate impact should motivate guys to up their games or they're going to be sitting. With that in mind, why would management want to commit to him going back to junior...even if that's where he is most likely to end up.