Quote:
Originally Posted by Flash Walken
Bennett is definitely a better offensive player than backlund, mostly due to his shot in my opinion, but I don't know if you really addressed the substance of my argument. I don't think Bennett will be better than Brodie, Monahan, gaudreau, Hamilton or tkachuk. I think this far he is the odd man out in that group and from a team building standpoint it is difficult to see where he fits in in the future of the club.
I think the flames are still desperate for another top 4 defender 26 or under and it makes the most sense to move Bennett to acquire that piece if he has the necessary value.
Agree or disagree that out of the aforementioned group that you would move Bennett first?
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Disagree. I'm not against moving any of those players including Bennett if the deal makes sense but I don't know about ranking them as odd men out. The Flames have Monahan/Backlund down the middle and Gaudreau/Tkachuk on the left side but that right wing is disgustingly open long term. If Bennett is in fact a better winger we should explore the possibility of how good he is on his off wing, that's where Frolik works now. Calgary is desperate for another guy to slot into that 2nd pairing, they're also desperate for depth and top line talent up front. When you have two open wing positions a guy as talented as Bennett isn't on the outside looking in IMO. Yeah he's probably hard to place right now but that's because he's struggling and we're not sure if he's on the wing or down the middle. I'm more then patient enough to see how it plays out though. And no that has nothing to do with allergies to moving key guys.
If the right deal comes along move him, move any player but I don't see him as the odd men out, there still aren't enough quality players for anyone to be on the outs.
There are still drafts, there are still draft picks and there are still quality prospects (Kylington, Andersson, Fox on the blueline) to slot into some of these positions. I also think moving Bennett creates a massive gap down the middle, it goes from potential core of the team to iffy. You've got Monahan then Backlund, who is due for a big raise in 18 months, a raise that I wouldn't be comfortable fitting into our cap. As much as I love him as a player I'm not sure this level of play will keep up for 2-3 years.
The right move might be moving Backlund. Ship him out a year before the big deal is due and let another team solve that problem. Islanders still moving Hamonic? I have no idea, spitballing here.
Anywho I hope that addressed the substance of your post more but the main substance of mine was that moving a guy like Bennett has massive potential to bite you in the ass. I'm preaching patience, because this guy has big time potential, more then Backlund and more then Monahan.