What if Sam Bennett is still the playoff warrior that we remember? Can he make a difference in the series against Winnipeg? His still shoots a lot and he still hits a lot. Can Calgary count on him elevating his play as per usual?
This quick blurb over at Dobber's site got me thinking. He is still seen by some as a potential 20G 40 point forward that plays on the edge. Surely, if Calgary is done with him and especially if he has a great postseason, they can package him in a trade that helps both him and the Flames.
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Sam Bennett
Here's a fun fact: if we include Bennet's one game played in 2014-15, his ice time has been declining for six seasons. The 2019-20 season saw him fall to a career-low 12:31 per game. The only Calgary forward who played less per game than Bennett at 5-on-5 was Tobias Rieder, and he's no longer in the NHL. It seems as if he's fallen out of favour with the team. (Yes, he did suffer injuries this past year. Surely that factored in somehow. It still doesn’t discredit his continual TOI decline for a half-decade.)
To me, Bennett feels like one of those "change of scenery" trades in the making, like Cody Hodgson or Alex Galchenyuk. Whether he ever lives up to the fourth overall selection status remains to be seen. But I just can't help but think a guy who is just 23 and has been getting his role cut for years is on the trading block.
Bennett does two things that fantasy owners should enjoy: he shoots a lot and he hits a lot. His shot attempt rate at 5-on-5 over the last three years is 14.33 per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. For reference, that's about the 80th percentile among forwards league-wide, and higher than names like Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Mike Hoffman, and Brock Boeser. He's also in the 83rd percentile for hits per 60. In other words, with more ice time, there is a mutli-cat monster lurking here.
The question is whether he gets the ice time to do it. That depends on a lot of things. All I'm saying is that with decent TOI allocation, there are 20 goals, 40 points, 180 shots, and 150 hits here. That will play very well. Keep a sharp eye on Calgary's transactions whenever the offseason hits.
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