Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
I think this is a pretty naive view of how coaches coach and GMs manage. The coach is not going to construct lineups on the basis of perceived trade value, and a GM is not going to expect him to. Besides, I tend to think players values are much more static than a lot of people seem to imagine. NHL GMs already know who Bennett is and how he plays. A few more games on Monahan's wing is not going to suddenly cause them to fall all over themselves to acquire him. At this point, he is not getting moved until at least the trade deadline, and I suspect most likely not until the offseason.
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I tend to agree with this. I'm pretty sure Bennett's trade value is not going to increase (or even decrease for that matter) based on who he plays with for the next few games, and I'm going to say even for the rest of the season. A team acquiring Bennett is banking on what they know about his raw skill, based on years of scouting dating back to junior, with the hope that they can help him take the next step.
Ward's only job is to ice the best lineup that gives us the best chance to win. The underlying stats show that Bennett doesn't play very well with Johnny and Mony and that's why he isn't playing there now.
As an aside....I would describe Bennett as a "chaotic" player. I think he is perceived to generate chances because he takes the puck (and himself) straight to the net. But I don't think they are actually dangerous chances because Bennett is either falling down or losing control of the puck as he's doing so. It only looks dangerous because people freak out when the puck is near the net. He doesn't use his linemates particularly well and he occasionally gets a weak shot off.