Lazar looked horrible the first 3/4 of the season. Down the stretch he was noticeably better at generating offense. His defensive prowess and intangibles were never in question, you'd just expect to see more based on where he was drafted and how much we gave up for him. He was on pace for about 15pts last year. I think if he can manage 20pts+ this coming season that would do wonders for our depth.
Bennett is way more of a wild card than Lazar. Sometimes he's the best player on the ice, sometimes he does things that should have him demoted to junior. I'm thinking if he can match or improve on his rookie season stats while being more consistent that would be a win.
BTW did Peter's ever say if he liked Bennett at C or W? I've personally always seen him as a center. He's got really good speed but GG's strategy didn't really emphasize offense through the rush or transition so it was more difficult from him to show it. Honestly, if they used him like Mcdavid or Kessel (if you prefer him on wing), where you kind of wind him up and get him the puck when's he's moving at top speed, that's where I think he'd be most dangerous. Watching the Vegas/Winnipeg series, I think he'd do very well in a system that Gallant has implemented where speed through the neutral zone is key.
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