Monahan is turning 22
Bennett is turning 21
While it seems like they've been around long enough that we can gauge them as players, there's still 3-4 years of growth there for both players before we fully know their ceilings. That doesn't mean this season. It means another 3 seasons down the road, we'll be able to start to be able to know what we do or don't have. That's what is continually lost on people. Of course Getzlaf and Kesler are better right now, but they have 8-9 years on our centers. They're seasoned pros and have had a lot more time to figure out the NHL game.
You can't even make those comparisons, really, cause you're talking about players in different stages of their careers.
People continue to forget that the Flames are still a work in progress. We're so accustomed to this instant gratification and what have you done for me lately, but what if we see the kind of progression we have in Backlund but in two guys with more skill at their disposal? Have to exercise patience, as easy as it is to forget that.
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