Quote:
Originally Posted by tkflames
^Re Bennett back on the checking line....
I am not a fan of this move, but Bennett has not been on a checking line all year. The 3M is our "checking line". They face the hardest competition. What Bennett and Janko are supposed to learn is to produce consistently. Bennett has not been brought in to be a passenger on a scoring line. Bennett is being groomed to run his own producing line that other players want to be on. Whether or not he reaches that potential is a different story, but letting him milk points as a passenger on the first line to drive up his next contract is how you end up paying a German winger $8.5M after one season and maintain a team scoring depth of one line....
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The style of play janko and Bennett have been asked to play is more a checking line style... dump and chase and forecheck. A very north south style. I agree that 3m is our true checking line in terms of who they play against but it’s more forcing Bennett to play a style that doesn’t suit his skill set as well as playing up front.
In the past two games Bennett was hardly a passenger on the top line and drive play much more than Ferland did.
I do agree that he is being groomed to run his own line but trying to learn how to do that while being limited in using all your best skills and limited minutes is detrimental to the organization both short and long term.
It’s mostly the really poor messaging to the entire group that hey, this guy shoots right and scored some goals once upon a time when he played with Paul Stastny he hasn’t warned anything but he goes straight to the top line because of how he holds his stick.