The Flames greatly need to improve the bottom six, and they need to do so by cleaning out three players. Jankowski, Bennett, and Lucic all need to go, simply because they don't play the game to the levels expected of them.
Jankowski is a wonderful blend of size and talent. He's a very smart player, a good skater, has soft hands, and plays on instinct. Unfortunately he has the edge of a butter knife, does not use his size to his advantage, and plays at a speed that gives the impression of a lack of urgency. His smarts and instincts are on display when he kills penalties, but at the same time his discipline to his position leaves the impression of not playing hard enough. That makes it easy for a coach to play others ahead of him, because hustle is the hallmark of great players. Jankowski needs to go so he can see this through another lens and take the next step. The Flames don't have the luxury of waiting for that awareness to kick in. I see Jankowski as a component with another player in a hockey trade, kind of like Ferland with Hamilton, which addresses multiple positions on the team.
Bennett is a player the Flames have to move on from. Four coaches has spoken. Bennett is not a player that addresses any need for this team. He's actually the antithesis of Jankowski. Bennett goes out there and plays with heart and an edge, but has nothing else going for him. He's not a smart player, his instincts are non-existent, he is not a great skater, can't pass, and has a terrible shot. But he runs around and is willing to play with an edge, which is why fans like him. That and he has draft pedigree and that "potential" card to play. Problem is that card is worn out. Bennett is not getting better and he is not going to suddenly find his game, even if he lined up with McDavid and Draisaitl. This is a guy that the team might be able to make a swap of reclamation players and maybe come out on top, but the Flames will have to take a lot of risk back because Bennett has not shown much in his time in the league. The moments where that "potential" shines through are fewer and fewer. The time is now to get something for an asset that is not going to be a component on a winning team.
Lucic needs to retire. Plain and simple. I was surprised to hear that he considered it earlier this season, but I now hold out hope that follows through on that feeling. Lucic is a player that needs to play a role, and that role he has been given he seems less than committed to filling that role. He is no longer a deterrent because his heart is not in it. You could see it when the Flames played the Oilers and Tkachuk was ragdolled. In the past Lucic would have left a greasy stain on the boards or a bloody mess on the ice with someone from the opposition on his next shift. Lucic wanted no part of that. The Oilers broke him and took that out of his game. His ability to help this club is strictly dependent on playing the role of a physical presence, and he no longer has the desire to play that game. It is time for the Flames to move on.
If the Flames can change out two of these pieces and have the other retire this will be a better hockey team. I hope Treliving has the wherewithal to make the moves needed. None of these three are answers to anything and the longer they hand around the worse it will be for this team trying to compete. If you could take all three of these players and splice the right parts of their DNA together you would have a helluva hockey player. But on their own merits all of them are greatly flawed and need to be improved upon. I hope none of them are in a Flames uniform when November rolls around.
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