It isn't like Bennett hasn't been developing. I think he is light years better defensively. I think he has become more disciplined as well.
I just can't see the merit of trading away what could be a top line center to solidify the top 4 defencemen by bringing in a #4. Bennett really could pan out to become a real game-changer for this franchise. Is Vatanen THAT much better than Stone? Why not just re-sign Stone in the offseason?
At any rate, getting a #4 defencemen is a heck of a lot easier than trying to acquire another top line center. I get that people may feel that Bennett won't be one, but I will take the chance on Bennett that he has a lot more room for development yet. Maybe he never develops into one - but I do bet that he develops into a player that the entire fanbase considers part of the core.
Flames have always been able to acquire really good defencemen. Flames have been a lot less able to acquire good centers. Langkow - a pretty damn good player - has probably been the best center this organization has managed to acquire in 20 years. Toss up between him and Conroy anyways, and I argue that the Flames lucked out with Conroy developing an offensive side.
It would be foolhardy to trade Bennett now. I take it as a compliment that the Ducks really like what they see in Bennett. They like him for a reason, and it is because they see his potential and probably feel he will experience a lot of growth in his game yet.
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