Bennett absolutely should be pencilled-in as the 3rd line centre to start the season - and keep him there for a very lengthy time at least.
Unless there is an injury/trade, I don't think he should be elevated beyond the 3rd line centre. Just let him develop his skills, and hopefully develop some chemistry with some players as a centre as well.
Ideally, you want him to continue to develop and push out the centres above him in the lineup. Some people are down on Monahan, but he is unquestionably the most offensive centre in the organization. Backlund has done nothing at all to make anyone think he isn't slotted correctly as the #2 centre.
IMO, I do think if the Flames are patient with Bennett and give him the opportunity to succeed - even if he has a bad stretch of games as basically every other player in the NHL does - then I think Bennett will reward you. It won't surprise me if he starts putting a tonne of pressure on the centres ahead of him over time. Maybe this season, maybe the next - but that's a good thing. Flames just need to give him some patience as a centre.
There was not a single player contributing to 'winning' more than Bennett did in the playoffs, and players like him are usually infectious. He could very well end up becoming Calgary's future captain if things pan out well. He doesn't have to be Calgary's best player, but I can definitely see him eventually taking the C over in time.
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