Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
He didn't get top 6 minutes under Brunette (rookie HC, not re-upped). He got top 6 minutes under Quennville (5 in 5) and Maurice (11 in 14). And you're conveniently omitting the 15pts in 19 games he had the three postseasons prior in CGY too, where he also didn't get top six minutes.
Who is the evaluator of "legit-ness"?
Actually watching his play in all three zones?
Funny, the year Toews won his Selke, HE was not even playing a shut down roll for Chicago, Marcus Kruger was. He was a solid centre, but he was as much a product of playing with Hossa, Saad, Kane, Keith, Seabrook as anyone.
I say this as someone who considers Toews a prototypical center - those other factors speak more to the opportunity Toews was afforded having been drafted by a bad team that put him in a #1 centre role. He was never a Crosby tier player, not even a Kopitar tier player. He was a really good two-way centre on some really good teams.
Toews was on the 4th line of the 2010 olympic team on a line with Mike Richards. Mike Richards is probably the 1:1 closest player to Bennett ever. But Bennett would "not have a chance". It's only in people's revisionist history that Toews is some Yzerman tier superstar. He wouldn't be the #1C on a team with prime Barkov at any point in his career either.
|
I really like Bennett.
I'm not going to get into an argument about whether he is on par with peak Toews, because, with all due respect, arguing that Bennett is on the level of peak Toews is complete nonsense.
I guarantee you that Sam Bennett is not getting Selke votes. Bennett can cause some takeaways by playing aggressively. He also create an equal amount of giveaways, by just being not that smart. Last year Florida gave him 73.7% offensive zone starts. And yes, I've watched many Florida playoff games this year. Tkachuk and Bennett are not spending that much time in their own zone. Neither are especially fast skaters, and the coach is letting them just do their thing in the offensive zone, which is probably the best way to play those two.
Even having amazing chemistry with Tkachuk, he's only on pace for 65 point this season, and you're comparing him to 100 point elite #1 centers.