Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
I don't know what Bennett "was" or "is" but I don't think there's any denying that Bennett didn't have the opportunities needed to maximize whatever his potential was. Random 1 period 5v5 stints at RW, still no PP, are not that for a LHS center.
The Coyotes got their "just deserts" with Dylan Strome.
The Flames got their "just deserts" with MSL and Savard.
If you have a player in your organization, and for whatever reason that player succeeds elsewhere, then yeah, you failed to maximize the value of your asset.
If the player fails elsewhere, a la Lazar, then whatever, no Sens fan is losing sleep over him.
At this point, Sam Bennett deserves a change of scenery if for no other reason than this:
His coach said he would be seen as a center this season.
He played exactly one period at center, in between Milan Lucic and Joakim Nordstrom, a line anyone could predict to fail.
Here's a player who can kill penalties, but doesn't so otherwise useless vets like Nordstrom do.
Who can play PP, but doesn't so old vets like Lucic do.
Only time will tell how his career goes elsewhere. But Calgary is not the right situation for him. If for no other reason than the fact that they're already oversaturated with left shot forwards. A team with more right handed shot forwards would probably find a better niche for this player.
I reiterate - Calgary is not getting burned "if" he succeeds elsewhere. But since you seem to think he won't succeed elsewhere, than that scenario itself won't happen anyways.
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So the team ... management, coaches all want him at center and to succeed, but then changed their mind and decided to tank his season?
Does that honestly make sense for you?
He started camp on the third line with Dube and Lucic. It didn't click. They moved him to center on the fourth line and the line got filled in. They moved him to the third line with quality players and kept him there because he wasn't getting out played for the most part, but couldn't produce.
That's not tanking a player.
My point though was the group of players around him suggest he gets the chances based on shot metrics but he's an undeniable presence on lines that don't put the puck in the net. That can't be bad luck year over year.