Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
When you don't have a #1C and you've got a kid who projects to be a #1C it's not a "luxury" to waste that kid as a winger. This is as misguided as Montreal's mishandling of Galchenyuk.
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He's a raw rookie. He doesn't play very well defensively - he gets caught up ice a lot, he tends to watch the play in his own zone and let shooters slip past, and Granlund, Backlund, Stajan and Monahan are way better. Hartley's demonstrated that wants to win, not develop and experiment with positions. So Bennett either plays up here as a wing, or he plays in Stockton as a C.
Monahan is a perfectly respectable #1. He'd be a #1 on a dozen other teams in the NHL. Bennett may get there, but he hasn't shown anything like what Monahan could do in his first year. Monahan (without Gaudreau) was decent defensively and still scored 22 goals. Bennett's way flashier, sure. But he hasn't shown that he can handle the position IMO.