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Old 08-17-2020, 01:03 PM   #339
GranteedEV
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Originally Posted by New Era View Post
So let a guy slide for 82 games because he "might" turn it on in the post season?
When have the Flames ever let Sam Bennett "slide"?

They've literally put him with our worst forwards and he's consistently made those lines competent. And no, most of those were not a case of him getting demoted - most of those players had higher expectations that they neither met in Calgary nor did they leave Calgary to meet those expectations.

Troy Brouwer - they literally believed he was a top six forward. Tkachuk - Bennett - Brouwer was the second line they pencilled in on opening night that year. The rookie out of junior Tkachuk needed time with a more experienced center as that was 20 year old Bennett's first year at the position at this level, and Brouwer simply couldn't perform, not even with Gaudreau and Monahan nor was he able to play on the shutdown line with Backlund (Tkachuk - Backlund - Brouwer was attempted multiple times and failed every time).

Alex Chiasson - not exactly a top nine forward, but that's who Bennett spent a good chunk of 2016-17 with once Brouwer was finally demoted to the fourth line. He had to get a PTO with Washington that year. He's a solid 4th liner, I like the guy, but the emphasis is on "fourth liner". Though he was also tried with Gaudreau and Monahan in a desperate hope to get something that wasn't there out of him, god bless Mr Offside.

Curtis Lazar - They had hopes for this young player, but ultimately that's all they proved to be. He cleared waivers the next year. But I'm sure you've got a spin on how Bennett being unable to use The Force to put Lazar's shots into the back of the net was "letting Bennett slide"

Kris Versteeg - I have nothing bad to say about Versteeg's first year here. But the second year, Versteeg had a hip injury and played awful until he decided to call it quits on the season.

Mark Jankowski - they believed Jankowski had the tools to be a#3 or better center when he was a prospect. I did too. But everyone was simply too optimistic.

Garnet Hathaway - Even though he was clearly a 4th line talent, he was elevated to this line (which at the time functioned as our 3rd) because of his success with Jankowski in the AHL. Not one person thought he was a top nine forward.

Jaromir Jagr - they thought he could hang around in the NHL. He couldn't. Another player who got to play with Gaudreau and Monahan and then whenever that failed, was put on the Bennett line. See a theme?

James Neal - the definition of a floater. Except he couldn't even finish great setups as a Flame. Another player who was tried with Gaudreau and Monahan but couldn't succeed with them, but had some success with Bennett. Were we "letting Bennett slide" when he essentially got utility out of Neal?

Tobias Rieder - he's been great for us shorthanded these playoffs. Yet has done zilch 5v5 even with Backlund and Mangiapane or with Derek Ryan as his center. And this regular season? Zero finish. 5v5, Rieder had 7.03 expected goals, and Bennett had 7.29 expected goals. The actual goals? Rieder had 2, and Bennett had 8. So who was being let slide - Sam Bennett? Or his linemates who didn't finish the chances they got? Bennett's zero secondary assist season was not on Sam Bennett.

I swear, sometimes I wonder if some Flames fans even watch Flames games.
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Last edited by GranteedEV; 08-17-2020 at 01:11 PM.
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