Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Treliving certainly has to be concerned about maximizing his assets and that includes Bennett. You think he’s worthless but he actually isn’t. Go see Friedman’s comments about Bennett this year.
What were your thoughts on Anthony Duclair before this season? How about Domi before the trade to Montreal? Bennett isn’t totally dissimilar to those guys. All broke in with promise, regressed and then broke out with a different opportunity except Bennett who hasn’t been given a new opportunity yet.
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Nope.
But he sure as hell is not worth 2.5 millions dollars a year. He never has been, but that's the kind of money that was required to keep him around so he would become whatever it is you and many others still think he will be.
I was all about the guy myself when he was drafted. I was OK with him until season 3 and the steady stream of penalties and brain cramps that were not being offset by any other contributions on the ice besides the odd scrap and banging guys on the opposition. Once it became apparent he simply didnt have the hockey smarts to excel at the NHL level, it was time to either slot him and pay him as what he is or move on from him and let someone else try and chase that unicorn.
Every single piece of evidence through his now 5th season in the NHL suggests anything but an offensive explosion and as we see the last 3 years....actual regression.
You think the team should keep holding on and "hoping" things change in the face of all evidence to the contrary? Or should they move on and try something else that may not be better but certainly would be hard pressed to be worse?
I just do not understand the unflinching loyalty of a very vocal group on this forum to continually try and spin him into something he isn't, hasn't been, and more than likely never will be.
I don't care if he stays a Flame on the 4th line...but maybe at a million and a half less than his current price. I mean, Curtis Lazar is outscoring him right now in 15 fewer games played...at a cost of 700K.