Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
Would you not agree though that Bennett is a bust in relation to his draft position?
I don't think a lot of teams go into a draft with a top 5 pick and come away thinking "we got ourselves a good 3rd liner" and are satisfied with that.
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Yeah, I think so long s Bennett continues to be a useful NHL player then he cannot be classified s a "bust." I agree with Bingo on this.
But I believe more of the pushback is coming against those who continue to project a narrative about Bennett as a total washout who holds no value to the team and is easily replaced by any nameless, faceless AHL scrub. Its this perspective that is so far removed from reality that I take issue with. While Bennett may not be the offensive star we hoped, and while I am annoyed by the number of offensive zone penalties he has a tendency to take he is still an effective player who makes things happen on the ice. That is not by any stretch "useless" to a team, and so long as he continues to provide effective minutes—even with his warts—he will always find a job in the NHL. No, I would say that is not a bust. It's disappointing, but at some point the team, the fans need to get over the disappointment and accept the situation. It may lead to trading Bennett eventually, but not necessarily.