Quote:
Originally Posted by ComixZone
I still proclaim “look at the circumstances”. If Bennett had continued to play with Backlund, I wonder what we’d be saying about him because we were generally pleased with his rookie season as a winger.
He then got fed to the wolves and burdened with the biggest anchors on this team.
Since being removed from Backlund’s wing, the best player he’s played with has been Jankowski - who is a rookie centre. That’s good, and I’m really excited to see them together going forward. It’s just not something we should or can overlook - no other young players in the league get asked to do what Bennett was asked to do at that age. Young players generally get played with better players which allows them to learn and build their game at the NHL level. Bennett got to centre Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, Alex Chiasson. That’s tough sledding for for anyone (Brouwer makes/made Johnny and Sean ineffective), let alone a 1st year centre.
Bennett also shows up in the playoffs, and has shown us glimpses of being a very good forward. Continued patience is required (not that you’re saying it isn’t), because the positives are there.
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The fact fans are continuously searching for someone to help Bennett out in itself is an indicator he is not the player he was drafted to be. Not even close. I don't think Bennett should be better than this, he is what he is and that's a fringe NHLer that is still living off of his draft status.
Had he been able to develop effectively like some of the other young players in recent years, you'd probably be talking about a much deeper, dangerous Flames team this season. The hole his poor play has created this season is actually costing the Flames big time if you consider how much the staff was banking on him finally panning out. Instead, the team has a third line with Brouwer and Bennett equally deserving of each other as line mates.