Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Okay, so the argument is that IF Bennett doesn't progress, then he hasn't progressed and we should lower our expectations?
I totally agree.
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Not sure about Polak's argument, my position is not the same as his. My argument is that AS Bennett's development as a center is ignored in favor of only Monahan's development, we should lower our expectations of Bennett and put our eggs into the Monahan basket, whatever that may be.
Right now Mark Jankowski is being developed as a center better than Bennett. Yes, I'd rather see Bennett in the AHL than third line left wing, where he's neither gaining offensive confidence as a forward playing with Chiasson and Stajan against NHLers nor is he learning his responsibilities at his natural position.
I can't think of any franchise center who played regularily on the 3rd line, particularily at wing at that. One or the other, occasionally, sure. Never both. This isn't about Bennett's talents for me. It's about the likely outcome of his development. There is no commitment to his development. Bennett is effectively behind Gaudreau and Tkachuk on the depth chart at LW, and he's apparently behind Stajan, Backlund, and Monahan at centre. Somewhere along the way his development was discarded in favor of.. I'm not sure what, because it ain't wins.
As for my posts going downhill this year, it's too bad you feel that way but I am simply calling it like I see it. This team won't go anywhere unless they either commit fully to actually rebuilding (as Feaster did) or worse, they blow it up (which I don't trust this management to do well). As is we're on a treadmill, albeit a bottom five treadmill. I can take anything as a sports fan except the treadmill. This team is hitting the same treadmill the Maple Leafs did under Burke. They didn't improve their long term prospects until Burke, Carlyle, and Nonis were all gone.