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Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
A 30 point forward in the NHL is basically a productive quality third liner.
This is a team that has struggled to find quality bottom 6 forward. So if that type of player, truly is dime a dozen, then why have the Flames struggled to find them? Do they not need guys like that?
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It sure wasn't for lack of trying. Versteeg and Jagr suffered early injuries that basically ended their respective NHL careers, and Troy Brouwer... Well, the less said about him the better. But those were all players who were expected to produce at the same clip as Bennet. And for years prior they did. The Flames have had some abysmal luck (and/or pro scouting) on that front, but other teams seem to find 3rd line wingers every year no problem. 3rd line wingers do not have a lot of value and are not difficult to obtain, and I don't think you will find many people who will disagree with me on that.
Quote:
The SC winning Washington Capitals had the following
- Their #5 forward by TOI (Tom Wilson) scored 14 goals, 35 points
- Their #6 forward (Lars Eller) scored 18 goals, 38 points
- Their #7 forward (Andrew Burkovsy) scored 12 goals, 25 point (56 games only)
- Their #8 forward (Jakub Vrana) scored 13 goals, 27 points
This is what I mean by the binary thinking. The idea that a 15 goal/30 point Sam Bennett has "no place" in Calgary going forward or isn't very good simply ignores the reality of the NHL.
If he turns into a 20 goal/40 point guy, you have a top 6 forward on your hands. And is he REALLY that far away from that?
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Look, I'm not saying 30-35 point players are not good to have. I'm saying that in the case of Sam Bennett you might be able to convince a GM desperate to find some high end skill (Montreal? Ottawa?) that he could be a top 6 forward if given the chance, which he is clearly never going to get here. Maybe you can convince that GM to give you something even more valuable (like a young, promising goaltender), either one-for-one or in a package, than a 3rd line winger you could easily replace with a veteran signing.