Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
He can't go to Kingston for "conditioning." Once he is dispatched to Juniour, he is no longer available for recall by the Flames until his season in the OHL has ended.
Besides, even if he is more likely to get hurt in the AHL than in the OHL, I would argue that the difference in risk is practically negligible. I am fairly certain that it would be a mistake for the Flames to make their decision based on a prevailing fear about Bennett's potential for injury. The decision should be based on where he is able and ready to play. They can know that even after two or three games in the AHL, and then if necessary still choose to return him to Juniour without any further consequences.
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Don't forget that it also took standout rookies who were completely healthy 3-5 weeks to start making a consistent impact with the Flames in Monohan and Gaudreau. This was also in October/November as opposed to February/March when players are all dialed in and fighting for playoff positioning. Even with the re-injury risk in the equation, the path for Bennett has to be through Kingston and then ADK once the junior season is over.
It would take something incredibly amazing for a rookie to step in late season prove he can play more than a few shifts game in and game out over seasoned pros for the final 30 games. I really doubt the organization is willing to potentially see Sam play a role of 8-10 minutes a night and healthy scratch for even a few games when he could be leading the charge somewhere else and getting as many games as possible under his belt this year.