Why there is even an argument about how much Bennett progresses and at what position and line slotting he will top out at is kind of funny. Kid basically missed an entire season of hockey. This season, he is not producing - on a team that has a handful of skilled and older players not producing well either.
I learned something from this thread though. I am a complete an unabashed fanboy when it comes to Bennett since I believe he has top-line talent and ceiling, and my opinion should be completely disregarded. Only a complete imbecile would use such an argument on essentially a FAN SITE.
Honestly, that must have been the stupidest, most immature and ridiculous piece of argument I have ever read here on this site, or on any other site. If this site gave out awards akin to the Razzies, that would be my nomination. It is a completely preposterous argument to make, and extremely ironic given that this is a site FOR FANS! My least favorite posters on this site are not the ones that make contrary arguments to the ones I hold personally - even if they completely disprove my own posts and make me feel like an idiot, but it is the posters that are routinely condescending. To pull the 'fanboy' argument on a fan site is complete idiocy (and yes, I realize I am being extremely condescending and even disparaging in my post here, but seriously, WTF??).
Now as for Bennett, the truth is nobody really knows where he tops out at. I just don't think that this season is one in which any poster should be setting some arbitrary limit on Bennett's future, given that many players are currently experiencing a 'slump'. Sure, Tkachuk is doing really well (and he is indeed a beauty), but there at least seems to be a potential legitimate rationale for that, and it is that the current system is not conducive for a 'skilled' player to put up good numbers. From top to bottom, you can see a regression in production among the skilled players, and I would count Bennett as being one of them.
This is where I still have my own reservations when it comes to Gulutzan. Hartley still made the skilled players accountable defensively, regardless of what posters may feel about his system, and the skilled players did put up more points. Maybe it is 'too structured'? Maybe it is 'too defensive'? Maybe it is simply a case of some players focusing too much on which side of the puck they should be on and err on the side of caution? Maybe it is a confidence issue, or even that some players have become a bit rattled? I remember Hartley would tell Backlund that he is playing too defensively, and wanted to see him contribute more offensively - yet he would chew Backlund out for making a big mistake. Monahan went through a period where he wasn't producing, and Hartley told him that he needs to stop being overly worried about his defensive game and make sure he is contributing on the stat sheet as well, and that Monahan should loosen up a bit.
Maybe that is simply what is happening with a few of the skilled players who are having trouble adjusting (at least 5v5). Maybe they just haven't really adjusted to it, or maybe the system needs to adjust a bit for the current makeup of the roster? I don't have any answers.
I just know that pigeon-holing Bennett right now is at best premature given his experience in the league, the fact that he lost practically a year of development time yet still was very impressive during the playoffs, and has had many impressive games for the Flames since entering the league. He may indeed end up as a 3rd liner, or he may end up being the Franchise center for this team. Nobody can definitively state how far Bennett does indeed develop, but I for one wouldn't be lowering his ceiling at this point without lowering the ceiling on all the other skilled players either. Something to me doesn't add up.
I do like what both Treliving and Gulutzan had to say and what the 'plan' is around Bennett, and I am glad that they are being patient with Bennett. I really like Jankowski, and I think he will surprise us in the NHL in time, but like Textcritic so aptly put it - you can't really have too many centers. What's wrong with having a team of 12 forwards who were all capable centers, and who could all play solid 200ft games? Sounds a heck of a lot better than having 12 wingers, no?
If Bennett shows that he is not capable of playing center in the NHL in time, than so be it. I just don't think he should be converted to the wing, and then labeled a winger from now on. I would be fine with him even playing both positions for a while, as that has worked for a number of centers around the NHL. Development is neither linear nor is it guaranteed. We forget that sometimes.
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