Quote:
Originally Posted by Gaudfather
Flames fans have been a bit spoiled by recent examples such as Monahan and Tkachuk where 18 year olds were able to play meaningful roles with the team from the get go. The more usual development process is more like 3-4 years to really learn and adjust to the NHL game. Bennett is on track and I would expect a meaningful step up in his impact in another year or two.
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Top 6 picks, especially forwards, are expected to make an impact early. We may have been spoiled that both Monahan and Tkachuk did so in their first eligible year but lets not pretend the expectations for a 4th OA pick and a 24th OA pick like Backlund are the same. The reason people suggest trading him is that he might still have the perceived high end prospect value which he might never live up to and thus we might be better off trading him now before his "4th OA" value turns into "3rd liner" value. (For reference, Bennett is 12th in his draft for PPG).
Now that you all have your panties collectively in a bunch, I personally think his value is probably higher on the Flames vs. in a trade at this point. He'll be on a cheap bridge deal and still has plenty of time to break out. If the opportunity to swap him for a really great long term addition is out there then sure, do it but there's no reason to sell low for the sake of it. Bennett and his small cap hit will not be a concern going forward even if he doesn't improve.