Quote:
Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache
This is all kind of silly
People here were watching Bennett for years, saying they believed he could do better playing his natural position, with quality linemates, and consistent linemates.
Now he is playing his natural position with quality linemates, and consistent linemates, and is doing better
And people here are saying in a dismissive way that he is doing well because he has quality linemates.
Uh… Yeah. He is.
He is the 2C on the best team in the league. He has proven he can play with top line talent and be effective. Which was always the argument, was it not?
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I don't think anyone is arguing against what you are saying.
However, to state that Bennett is some ppg star who would have solved Calgary's center depth problems is also ridiculous.
Currently Bennett is getting over 3 minutes of pp time per game, playing with the player with the most assists, and getting 76.7% offensive zone starts. How would that have possibly fit into the Calgary lineup? The only way to give him that kind of time would have been on the #1 line, but he's not a very good #1 center. Calgary's second line is expected to play a heavy shut down role.
Clearly if you give a player more ice time they are going to produce more, but there's a massive opportunity cost to giving a center the kind of ice time that Bennett is getting in Florida. It just so happens that they have a Selke calibre #1 centre, who is also a ppg, and possibly the best offensive generating winger in the game, so they can afford to give out lots of opportunities.