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Calgary4LIfe · 02-09-2021, 04:27 PM

Roberts is a great comparison to Bennett. I know I have thought so for a long time as well.

For those like me who grew up watching that team with Roberts, he for sure wasn't a guy that many people had pegged on being a top line winger. I think him being friends with Nieuwendyk helped, as the fact that the line took a crap load of abuse and needed some toughness to protect them. That was Roberts. He himself probably didn't even think his hands were as good as they were.

That's the opportunity that Bennett has. It is actually eerily similar. I hope that Bennett takes this and runs with it. He needs to have some stability and to start building up his confidence. He has nothing right now.

Also, Gary Roberts and Sam Bennett have another thing in common - they both had very strong reputations in the playoffs. For those that followed Roberts after Calgary, one of my best memories of him was his almost single-handed destruction of the Sens in a playoff series. They couldn't handle him anywhere on the ice. He was Toronto's most effective playoff performer. He was top 3 in playoff points in Toronto for 3 out of the 4 years he was there (one year he was injured). He was an absolute playoff beast, just like Bennett.

Bennett even fights like Roberts:

Roberts:

Bennett:

Gary Roberts was one of my favourite of all time. Just a player that got it all done, and became such a strong leader. I remember when he came back from his neck injury, and was such an inspiration to everyone. Not only an inspiration, but he almost forced the Flames into the playoffs that year. I haven't been as excited about a player in Calgary again for many years - he was the leader that year, no question about it.

I think it is worth holding onto Sam and give him the rope to be valuable. I think he can be. Not saying he will be Roberts 2.0, but he has a lot of similar traits that Roberts did, and regardless of how much you like or dislike Bennett, he becomes one of Calgary's more important players during the playoffs, and he has done so every season. That's worth something at least.

02-09-2021, 04:27 PM	#2008
Calgary4LIfe Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Exp:	Roberts is a great comparison to Bennett. I know I have thought so for a long time as well. For those like me who grew up watching that team with Roberts, he for sure wasn't a guy that many people had pegged on being a top line winger. I think him being friends with Nieuwendyk helped, as the fact that the line took a crap load of abuse and needed some toughness to protect them. That was Roberts. He himself probably didn't even think his hands were as good as they were. That's the opportunity that Bennett has. It is actually eerily similar. I hope that Bennett takes this and runs with it. He needs to have some stability and to start building up his confidence. He has nothing right now. Also, Gary Roberts and Sam Bennett have another thing in common - they both had very strong reputations in the playoffs. For those that followed Roberts after Calgary, one of my best memories of him was his almost single-handed destruction of the Sens in a playoff series. They couldn't handle him anywhere on the ice. He was Toronto's most effective playoff performer. He was top 3 in playoff points in Toronto for 3 out of the 4 years he was there (one year he was injured). He was an absolute playoff beast, just like Bennett. Bennett even fights like Roberts: Roberts: YouTube Video Bennett: YouTube Video Gary Roberts was one of my favourite of all time. Just a player that got it all done, and became such a strong leader. I remember when he came back from his neck injury, and was such an inspiration to everyone. Not only an inspiration, but he almost forced the Flames into the playoffs that year. I haven't been as excited about a player in Calgary again for many years - he was the leader that year, no question about it. I think it is worth holding onto Sam and give him the rope to be valuable. I think he can be. Not saying he will be Roberts 2.0, but he has a lot of similar traits that Roberts did, and regardless of how much you like or dislike Bennett, he becomes one of Calgary's more important players during the playoffs, and he has done so every season. That's worth something at least.