Quote:
Originally Posted by HUSKER4FLAMES
If Bennett is who we think he is then I would expect a bridge contract and treating him up front and direct like this will pay dividends at that time. Same thing with signing Gaudreau and burning a year last year. These are things players and agents look at from a quality organization.
Play him. Treat him fairly. It will all work out in the end.
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Gaudreau was a very different situation. Burning a year of ELC was the only thing that made signing with the Flames a better option than playing another year at College and signing as a UFA with the team of his choice August 2015.
Bennett has no such leverage.
Name a UFA who decided to stay with a club and because they treated him well as 18 year old and gave him a chance.
There are none.
unless you count the Oiler kids that signed the 6x6 deals because the Oilers treated them well
The Jets treated Burmistrov and Kane as future franchise players when they were 18.....
The Flames could easily justify that Raymond has been just as nominally effective against the Ducks and that Bennett is physically overmatched. if Ferland is in the line-up the logical guys sitting are Wolf, Raymond or Bennett. Wolf held his own against the Duck big good guys..... he earned a 2nd game.
Bennett was a -2 being on the ice for both the Ducks goals (not the empty netter).
If it was the regular season almost certainly Bennett would be sitting.